Dudley, Mass. – Senior Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.) reached a historic milestone and the visiting Cougars won their second straight match with a 4-3 win over Nichols College in non-league field hockey action on Tuesday evening at Vendetti Field.

Melkonian recorded her 18th career hat trick and in the process became just the 21st player in Division III history to collect 200 career points (204) and just the 14th player to record 90 goals (90). Currently the all-Divisions active leading scorer, Melkonian has started 2012 off with a bang posting three hat tricks in the team's first four games.

Melkonian ignited the Clark offense with a goal just 2:16 into the contest off a feed from Kiah Murphy (Westport, Mass.). The Cougars found the back of the cage again less than a minute later when Madeleine Lutts (Salem, Mass.) notched her career-high tying ninth goal of the season with help from Melkonian.

Melkonian then capped a long run down the right side of the field with her second of the night and ninth of the season at 19:27 to extend the Cougars lead to 3-0. Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) got the Bison on the board less than three minutes later as she tucked a shot inside the left post and past Clark junior goalie Jordannah Saunders (Scarborough, Maine).

Sophomore Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) and freshman Meghan Dombkowski (Sagaponack, N.Y.) also scored for the Bison, who fell to 2-2 with the loss.

Orszulak tallied her third of the season 2:58 into the second half to slice the Nichols deficit to one, one-timing a long pass from sophomore Kaylee McNamara (Watertown, Mass.) from the right side of the field at the left post.

Melkonian picked up the hat trick at 52:42 with a hard shot from the left post to give the Cougars a two-goal cushion.

Trailing by two with under 10 minutes remaining, sophomore Jenn Townsend (Wethersfield, Conn.) send a pass to Dombkowski off a penalty corner, and the freshman's shot found its way through bodies and past Saunders to once again bring Nichols to within a goal at 4-3. The Bison received two penalty corners at the end of regulation, but both attempts to tie the game and force overtime fell short.

Saunders finished with three saves while sophomore Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.) recorded five saves.

The Bison return to action on Thursday night with a 7 p.m. contest at Vendetti Field against Fitchburg State. The Cougars open NEWMAC play at Springfield on Friday at 6:30 p.m.