DUDLEY, Mass. – Freshman
Molly Bellmore (Hebron, Conn.) boosted her incredible rookie season with another score but Nichols College scored twice in a 43-second span midway through the second half to top Plymouth State University, 2-1, in a non-conference women's soccer game at Nichols Athletic Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Both defenses were hard at work in the first half as the teams only allowed one shot each throughout the first 15 minutes. Bellmore broke through as she flashed her impressive speed on a breakaway, then punched in the score to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
The Bison gained momentum with a multitude of shots in the second half, eventually leading to two goals to end the game 2-1.
Plymouth State drops to 5-5-1, while Nichols jumps to 6-4-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Nichols 2
- Plymouth State (5-5-1)
- Nichols (6-4-1)
How it Happened:
- The first score came from Bellmore as she sent one to the back of the net in the 16th minute to put the Panthers up 1-0.
- Senior Abbey Johnson (Orlando, Fla.) and junior Ashley Plante (Concord, N.H.) each launched shots towards the goal late in the half to try to expand the lead, but both were just shy of the net.
- The Bisons' offense became relentless to start off the second half with nine shots, but freshman Sophia Holland (Barre, Mass.) dominated making six saves while others were off-target or blocked by the PSU defense.
- Nichols penetrated in the 69th minute, scoring twice to push ahead, 2-1.
- Freshmen Emily Wilson (Salem, N.H.) and Olivia Howard (Berwick, Maine) attempted a last-minute effort to pull even, but the Nichols goalkeeper cut them off to close out the game.
By the Numbers:
- Holland recorded a career-best seven saves on the day.
- Bellmore tallied her seventh goal of the season, putting her third in the Little East Conference in goals scored.
- Nichols held a slight edge in shots on goal with nine compared to the Panthers' six.
- The teams have split all four meeting, with all four games coming since 2018.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State welcomes Western Connecticut State to Arold Field for a Homecoming Little East Conference matchup on Saturday (Oct. 8). Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.
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