Miskiv's Hat Trick Lifts Field Hockey to 6-2 Win over Salve Regina

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior forward Demi Miskiv (Centerville, Mass.) notched a hat trick to lead the Bridgewater State University field hockey team to a 6-2 non-conference win over Salve Regina University on Tuesday night at Swenson Field.

The host Bears remain unbeaten on the season as they improve to 4-0.  Salve evens its 2012 record at 2-2 with the loss.

Miskiv notched the first two goals of the game to give Bridgewater a 2-0 first half lead.  After Salve freshman forward Abigail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.) cut the deficit in half at 28:19 on the Seahawks first shot of the game, BSU senior midfielder Megan Cullinane (Lunenburg, Mass.) provided the answering goal just over a minute later.

Senior forward Shelby Farland (Fiskdale, Mass.) capped off the first half scoring with her team-leading fifth goal of the season with 2:12 left in the period as the Bears headed to the intermission with a 4-1 advantage.  The marker extended Farland's goal scoring streak to four games, while her assist on Miskiv's first goal extended her point-scoring streak to eight games dating back to last season.

Bridgewater dominated play over the first 35 minutes, holding a 19-2 shot advantage as well as a 7-2 edge in penalty corners.

Salve put together a much stronger effort in the second half as senior forward Kelly Burke (Georgetown, Mass.) made it a 4-2 game in the 41st minute.  That would be all the scoring, however, that the Seahawks could muster.  Miskiv would complete her hat trick in the 55th minute and junior forward Carissa Vizakis (Bellingham, Mass.) capped off the scoring just over a minute later as the Bears cruised to the 6-2 victory.

Along with Miskiv's three-goal effort, Cullinane, Farland and Vizakis each finished with a goal and an assist apiece.

BSU senior goaltender Cassie Johansen (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) picked up her fourth win in four tries as she made one save in one half of action.  Johansen saw her shutout streak come to a halt at 238 minutes and 18 seconds.  Junior Kacie Sturgeon (Dartmouth, Mass.) played the final 35 minutes and recorded one save.

Sophomore Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) was very busy between the pipes for Salve as she turned aside 12 shots. McCann saw 29 shots come her way with 18 of them on frame.

In upcoming  action, Bridgewater travels to Little East Conference foe University of Southern Maine on Saturday afternoon at 2:30, while Salve heads to Nichols College for a noontime Commonwealth Coast Conference game with the Bison.