Senior forward Mary Nikish

Five Players Score as Field Hockey Defeats Manhattanville, 6-3

Nikish scores twice as field hockey gets first win of season

9/1/2012 7:36:00 PM

By: Rob Kulish
Box Score HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 1, 2012) – Five players scored goals, including two from senior forward Mary Nikish (Pittsford, N.Y.) as the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team earned its first win of the season Saturday, downing Manhattanville College by a score of 6-3. Nikish, junior forward Rachel Chavez (Oceanport, N.J.), freshman midfielder Erin Silverstri (Beverly, Mass.), freshman midfielder Dailyn Brook (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and junior midfielder Chelsea Cresci (Wilmington, Del.) all tallied for the Ducks (1-1).
 
After getting the first two goals of her career in her first game, a 5-3 loss to No. 1 The College of New Jersey Friday night, Brook put the Ducks on top 1-0 8:53 into the action in this one thanks to an assist from sophomore midfielder Jill Fiebel (Roxbury, N.J.). Fiebel gathered a pass at the top-right of the circle and delivered a pass across the front of the goal to the left post where Brook was positioned perfectly to direct it in.
 
Junior standout Amanda DeChent (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) pulled the Valiants even at one apiece with a pretty backhanded shot from straight-on eight yards away. Senior Sarah Mason (Glen Falls, N.Y.) took the insert after a penalty corner and gave DeChent the feed she needed.
 
In the 22nd minute Cresci recorded her first of the year blasting in a rebound, and Nikish handed the Ducks a 3-1 lead about eight minutes later. On that play, Chavez crossed in front to Brook who was denied by freshman goalie Courtney Ponte (Johnstown, N.Y.), but Nikish stuck with the rebound to get the score.
 
Just 1:16 into the second half, Stevens opened up a 4-1 edge thanks to Silverstri's first career goal. Junior forward Marguerite Chavez (Oceanport, N.J.) found Rachel Chavez in the right seam with a nice long pass. The latter Chavez controlled and crossed in front, slipping it between two Valiant defenders and Ponte to Silvestri for the tally.
 
Manhattanville (0-2) did not quit ,netting a pair to trim the lead to 4-3 with 28:42 left. Freshman forward Sharon Konfederak (Buenos Aires, Argentina) scored the first with DeChent netting her second of the night courtesy of a Konfederak pass.
 
Stevens pushed its margin back to two 3:59 later when Rachel Chavez got her first of the season. The junior received a pass and took it in the final 20 yards herself. She was able to avoid two defenders and the goalie with some nifty stick work before putting her shot in the lower right corner.
 
The Ducks' final score of the night came from Nikish behind a cross off the stick of Fiebel.
 
Stevens ended with a 33-17 edge in shots and a 17-6 margin in penalty corners, including 7-1 in the second period. Senior goalie Kaitlin McClymont (Corpus Christi, Texas) earned the win in goal with seven saves. Ponte took the loss, stopping 15 Stevens shots.
 
Stevens will return to action on Wednesday night at Drew University. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Ducks return home September 8 against new Empire 8 member Houghton College.
 
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