Worcester, Mass. - Senior co-captain Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) scored three first half goals in her return to the Clark University field hockey lineup, helping the host Cougars to a season-opening 4-1 win over Worcester State on Thursday night on Granger Field.

With the win, Clark has now won 11 straight season openers and has outscored their opponents a combined 41-8 in those contests.

Blake, who spent the 2007 season abroad, got Clark on the board early, rattling the back of the cage off a feed from freshman Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.) at the 5:27 mark.

The Lancers (0-1) answered back less than 10 minutes later when Veronica Ferrell evened the score with help from Kaitlynn Delisle.

Blake then put the Cougars ahead for good with her second goal at 19:09 off a penalty corner. Moments later, sophomore Meghan Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) teamed up with Blake, upping the Clark advantage to 3-1.

Melkonian then registered her first career goal on a tip in off of a Kate Condon (Wading River, N.Y.) shot with 12 seconds left in the opening stanza.

Neither team scored in the second half, as both goalkeepers kept the offense's at bay.

Rebecca Mullen turned away ten shots for Worcester State, while Cougar netminder Kathryn Dawsey (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), who made several spectacular stops, finished with 12 saves.

Clark (1-0) returns to action on Saturday, when it plays host to New England College at 1 p.m., while the Lancers face Brockport State in a tournament hosted by Springfield College.