BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY
West Hartford, Conn. – A goal in the first 90 seconds of the game from junior Amélia Pereira would turn out to be the only one needed by the Hawks as they went on to collect their third shutout in league play defeating New Hampshire 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium. The Hawks improve to 10-0-2 on the year and 3-0 in America East action, while New Hampshire falls to 3-8-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
The Hawks didn't need long for the offense to heat up with Pereira scoring her team leading sixth goal of the season in the second minute of the game. Pereira received a pass from the back that she gathered just inside the 18-yard box and juggled around with two New Hampshire defenders. She then realigned herself and found an open look at the net firing a shot to the lower right corner of the net with New Hampshire keeper Erica Correa at the edge of the six-yard box, beating her to her right.
New Hampshire's offense wasn't going to rest with three shots from New Hampshire's Stephanie Gilkerson forcing Quinlan into some early saves. All three shots came from approximately 25-yards out with Quinlan making easy basket catches on all three shots.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, Quinlan collected her sixth save of the half as New Hampshire's leading scorer Meghan Ledwith blasted a shot to Quinlan's left side which she made a diving stop as the shot looked to be heading just outside the left post.
Just over a minute later rookie Chanel Johnson sent a pass across the box to the right side of Correa where Amanda Lo Bello curved her second shot of the season just over the shoulder of the New Hampshire keeper collecting her first collegiate goal as her shot found its way just inside the 90-degree angle between the cross bar and post in the upper left corner of the goal.
UNH would collect one more shot before the halftime break, again forcing Quinlan into action, her seventh and final save in the first 45 minutes. Gilkenson sent another long range shot that looked to be dropping just enough to make it under the crossbar, but Quinlan used the full extension of her body to deflect the ball over the crossbar with two extended gloves.
Fifth-year Hawk Mary Beth Hamilton would add another insurance goal, securing the victory in the 85th minute off a pass from Pereira. Hamilton ran down a long pass that was looped over the New Hampshire defense, which after gathering she blasted to the lower right corner of the net eluding a diving Correa. Hamilton's goal is her fourth of the season, a career-high for the Columbia, Conn. native.
Quinlan's ninth shut out included seven total saves, all coming in the first 45 minutes. She faced a total of 14 shots from the Wildcats. The Hawks finished the match with eight shots, and held an 8-2 advantage in total corner kicks, including six alone in the first half.
The Hawks return to the friendly confines of Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium as they welcome Stony Brook to West Hartford on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m.
