The Suffolk University Women's Soccer team opened the 2014 season with a 4-1 victory over the Newbury College Nighthawks on Labor Day at Dilboy Stadium.
Freshman Erika Nelson (Peabody, Mass.) scored twice in her collegiate debut to pace a Suffolk offense that combined to put out 30 shots in the contest. Nelson's first goal proved to be the game winner as she struck with two minutes remaining in the first half to put Suffolk up 2-1 at the time.
Newbury opened up the scoring twelve minutes into the contest when freshman Shannon Walsh (Massapequa, N.J.) forced a turnover deep in the Suffolk zone. After weaving her way through a pair of defenders, Walsh fired a shot from eight yards out from the left side of the goal for the first strike of the season for Newbury.
From there Suffolk would score four unanswered goals. Senior Hanna McNulty (Stowe, Vt.) got Suffolk on the board in the game's twenty-sixth minute. McNulty bounced a loose ball in front of the net for her first career goal. The senior defender returned to action after missing most of her junior season with a broken collar bone.
Nelson's first goal of the evening would send Suffolk into halftime with the 2-1 edge. She would add her second tally of the evening as she took a feed from freshman Jennifer Martin (Higganum, Conn.) and let off a shot from 20 yards out.
Freshman Alexandra Nagri (Salem, N.H.) capped off the scoring for Suffolk when she also added her first career goal on a header in the seventy-second minute of the game.
Martin finished the game leading all players with five shots on goal as she collected a pair of assists on the evening.
Junior Elizabeth Fox (Orono, Me.) pushed aside 14 shots on a busy evening in goal for the Nighthawks.
Senior Melissa Brouillette (Shelton, Conn.) made four saves on five shots on the goal in the evening.
Newbury will be back in action on Friday evening as they travel to Rivier University for 7:00pm non-league matchup with the Raiders.
Suffolk will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they play Lesley University at 4:00pm.