WELLESLEY, Mass. – Husson University sophomore Sadie Royer scored a hat trick and senior goalkeeper Anne Marie Provencal made 14 saves to lead the visiting Eagles to a 4-2 victory over Wellesley College field hockey on Saturday at the Wellesley Fields Complex.

The Eagles open their 2017 campaign with a victory, dropping Wellesley to 1-1 on the year.

Royer netted the first goal of the game with an unassisted marker 2:26 into the first half to give the Eagles an early lead. Wellesley responded when junior Haley Chrobock found classmate Arielle Mitropoulos alone in front of the cage for the second time in as many games to make the score 1-1 at 19:21.

Husson would retake the lead prior to the half when first year Alli Bourget set-up Royer in transition for her second goal of the game. Royer completed her hat trick in the opening five minutes of the second, scoring unassisted at 39:10 when she stuffed home a rebound. The Eagles extended their advantage to 4-1 at 53:08 when a drive from Arika Brochu (Augusta, Maine) took a deflection on the way into the Wellesley cage.

Trailing by three with just under 17 minutes to play, Wellesley could only get one goal back. First year Carson Dennis  scored the first of her career when she hammered home a shot from the point at 61:21. Despite a 22-11 advantage in shots and a 14-3 edge in penalty corners, the Blue were unable to get another shot by Provencal.  

In the Wellesley goal, first year Janelle Sullivan made her first career start and picked up her first career save before giving way to junior Maggie Connelly midway through the first half. Connelly finished the contest with three saves.

Wellesley will look to rebound next Saturday, September 9, when they host UMaine-Farmington at 1:00 PM. Husson will play the University of Southern Maine tomorrow, September 3, at 10:00 AM.