'On This Day' Senior Goalkeeper Backstops Express to NEAC Field Hockey Championship

Wells College honors past and present seniors this week by spotlighting current fall student-athletes and looking back on past Senior Days or events featuring seniors.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Nicole Sales of the Wells College field hockey team saved her first goal of the year for the season's biggest game. Scoring early in the first half, her goal powered the Express to a 1-0 victory over Wilson College in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Field Hockey Championship game on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015.

Senior Kendrick Wilson was a dominant presence in Saturday's game for the Express. Of her four saves on the afternoon, her most important stop came at 29:02 of the first half as she turned aside a penalty stroke by Wilson's Megan Sterling. In her career, she has stopped both penalty strokes she has faced.

Wilson joined teammates Chandler Fitzgerald, Lexie Roberson, Cat Taylor and Shelby Bourn as the five Wells senior players who played their final game. The five were honored in a pre-game ceremony two weeks earlier on Oct. 17 that followed with another 1-0 victory over Oswego State.

In its 40th season of varsity play, the Wells College field hockey team has won its first-ever conference championship and concludes the season with a 5-11 overall record. Wilson, selected as the preseason favorites in the NEAC Coaches' Poll, wraps up its season with an 8-8 overall record after posting an undefeated regular season (3-0).

As an institution, Wells has won its eighth NEAC Championship since joining the league in 2007. The Express have won three women's swimming titles (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14), two in men's swimming (2009-10, 2012-13), one in men's basketball (2010-11) and the most recent since women's basketball in 2013-14.

"I am unbelievably proud to be the coach of this team," remarked Head Coach Kat Heterbring after earning the championship title. "The team has improved as the season has gone on and they left it all out on the field today. We entered the game eager to avenge our double-overtime loss to Wilson earlier in the season and our strong effort paid off in the team's first championship."

Sales' goal came only 7:45 into regulation time. Following a Wilson foul, Wells was issued a penalty corner that was taken by senior Chandler Fitzgerald. Sent to the perimeter of the circle, junior Shianne Stokes launched a shot that was tipped home by Sales for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

Wilson outshot the Express by a six-to-four margin and held the decisive advantage in penalty corners, 11-to-4. Wells, however, stopped all four shots faced while Phoenix goalkeeper Kayla Butts allowed one goal on two shots faced.

Following the contest, Stokes was awarded NEAC Field Hockey Tournament Most Valuable Player for her efforts in setting up the game-winning strike by Sales.

Boxscore: https://www.wells-express.com/sports/fh/2015-16/boxscores/20151031_q9g6.xml

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuL7bVbCsCc&feature=youtu.be