Worcester, Mass. – Sophomore sensation Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.) picked up right where she ended her freshman season by scoring a pair of goals and assisting on the game-winning tally as visiting Clark opened up their 2010 season with a 3-2 win over host Worcester State in field hockey action on Thursday evening.

Melkonian, who set a school freshman record last season with 45 points (19 goals, seven assists), got the ball rolling for the Cougars with an unassisted tally just 15 minutes into the contest.

She tacked on her second goal less than ten minutes later on a penalty stroke, making the score 2-0 heading into the intermission.

The Lancers started the second stanza with a bang as Samantha Janda rattled the back of the cage with her first score of the season a little more than three minutes into the half.

Clark responded however, when Melkonian set up classmate Madeleine Lutts (Salem, Mass.) at the 48:10 mark to make the score 3-1.

Worcester State made things interesting when Molly Cotter registered an unassisted goal in the 55th minute, but the Cougars defense along with Kate McGrath (Wilmington, Mass.) held the Lancers at bay for the remainder of the contest.

McGrath turned back ten shots in picking up the win for Clark, while Rebecca Mullen made four stops for Worcester State.

The Scarlet and White return to the field on Saturday when they host New England College beginning at 1:00 p.m., while the Lancers will look to earn their first win of the season with a Saturday morning trip to Springfield.