Worcester, Mass. - Three different Clark players collected first half goals to help the visiting Cougars defeat WPI 4-1 Saturday morning in a NEWMAC field hockey contest played at a rainy Alumni Stadium. With the result, Clark moves to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play while WPI falls to 7-3 on the season and 1-1 in the NEWMAC.

Clark opened the scoring in the sixth minute, when following a corner, Chelsea Proulx (Franklin, N.H.) knocked home a pass from Madeline Lutts (Salem, Mass.) for her first goal of the season. The Cougars stretched their lead at the 18:40 mark when Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.) broke through the defense, and after being stopped on her original shot, tucked home her fifth tally of the year. The visitors added another marker less than three minutes later when Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) buried a feed from Katherine Rowe (Fort Myer, Va.) for her team-leading eighth goal.

WPI wouldn't go away quietly as they sliced the Clark advantage to 3-1 when Kelly Johnson dribbled into the circle and belted a shot into the lower left hand corner 12 minutes into the second half. It was the senior's sixth goal of the season and the 17th of her standout career.
Erin Murphy (Boxboro, Mass.) provided the Cougars with an insurance goal in the waning minutes when she smashed a pass by Proulx from about 15 yards out with just 2:19 remaining.

Kathryn Dawsey (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) picked up the win in goal for the Cougars, making six stops on the day. Allie Griffin (Billerica, Mass.) was credited with a pair of saves for WPI, who enjoyed a 13-7 advantage in shots and took seven of the games 12 penalty corners.

Both teams continue NEWMAC play on Tuesday. WPI will venture to Norton for a 4 p.m. matchup against Wheaton while Clark entertains Springfield at 7 p.m.