By Simmons College Athletics

Sophomore forward Julie Saltamartini scored a pair of goals to lead the Simmons College field hockey team in a 3-2 loss at Thomas College on Sunday afternoon at Bernatchez Field in Waterville, Maine. The Sharks’ five-match win streak came to an end as they fall to 5-1 on the season, while the Terriers improve to 2-3.

Simmons held a 23-11 advantage on shots and 15-12 in penalty corners, but Thomas made the most of its opportunities to pull out the victory.

Down 2-0, Saltamartini began the Sharks’ comeback bid when she scored an unassisted goal after a frenzy in front of the net off a penalty corner less than seven minutes into the second half at 41:15. Saltamartini stick handled through the Thomas defense and buried her second goal of the game less than six minutes later with
her team-leading sixth goal of the season to pull Simmons even at 2-2 at the 47:11 mark.

First-year midfielder Tiffany Weeks tallied her second goal of the match when she converted a penalty stroke with just 6:07 left in the game for what served as the game-winning marker for the Terriers.

Senior forward Taylor Bergeron slid a pass towards the left post to classmate Crystal Cunningham off a penalty corner, who lifted a shot over the diving Simmons goaltender and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season, opening the scoring for Thomas at the 6:37 mark of the first half.

The Terriers took advantage of another penalty corner situation when Weeks gave the home team a 2-0 lead at 22:41, taking a cross from junior back Erica Blake and firing a shot from just inside the circle and past the goalie for her first collegiate goal.

The Terriers withstood a surge by Simmons in the final five minutes of the half where Thomas junior keeper Abbie Charrier recorded three saves and Blake added a defensive save to keep the score at 2-0 going into the break.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello made four saves for the Sharks, while Charrier stopped nine shots to earn the victory for Thomas.

The Sharks returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 19 when they head to Newton, Mass. to take on Great Northeast Athletic Conference foe Lasell College at 12 p.m., while the Terriers travel to South Hadley, Mass. to play Mount Holyoke College on the same day at 3 p.m.