Brigit McDannell ’18
Sports Editor
Basketball
Three Pioneers scored in the double digits as they attempted to beat Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), but ultimately fell short in the NEWMAC basketball game on Feb. 2, making this the WPI Engineers 17th straight win. Smith now has dropped 7-13 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
Erin Hanley ’19 gave the Pioneers a 14-10 lead with 1:02 left in the first quarter, but WPI’s Stasha Greenalch put her team up 15-14 and dominated throughout the quarter. The Engineers closed out the second quarter on a 5-0 run to go into halftime with a 34-27 lead. Lauren Bondi ’19 made a three-pointer to open the second half followed by a layup as the home team came to 34-32 in the opening minute.
WPI’s Lisa Mendez’s three-point bucket sparked a 13-0 run by the visitors to take a 51-37 lead going into the closing quarter. Amanda Barriscale’s ’18 three-point play opened the fourth quarter and jumpstarted a Smith comeback. Two more free throws from Barriscale capped a 10-0 run by the home team as the visitors held a 52-50 lead with 3 minutes remaining. Greenalch came off the bench to score 18 points with six boards to pace WPI, while Priscilla Dunphy added 10 points and Ama Biney finished with nine points and five rebounds. Bondi added two steals and two rebounds, while Barriscale grabbed seven boards. Kennedy Guest-Pritchett ’19 also contributed and scored 10 points and nine rebounds. The Pioneers held a 34-29 advantage on the boards as the hosts shot 35.7 percent from the court and 35.3 percent from the three-point range. WPI went 21-of-54 from the court and 5-of-15 from behind.
Field Hockey
On Feb. 3, during the halftime show of the women’s basketball game, Smith honored the 2015 field hockey team for their amazing ECAC Division III New England Championship win. Field hockey’s 2015 ECAC championship banner hangs from rafters in Ainsworth Gymnasium, joining 2004 and 2014 softball, 2012 basketball, 1987 and 2006 soccer, 2004 rowing and 1997 volleyball. The 2015 Pioneers completed a 13-9 season, the program’s best since 1993, earning Smith’s first-ever ECAC Championship with a 4-1 win over Salve Regina University. Beatrice Chaudoin ’19 was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Pioneer field hockey team is currently ranked 2nd in the conference and 14th in the nation. Leading up to their ECAC win, Smith played five NCAA tournament teams, including this year’s eventual NCAA National Champion. The Pioneers defeated three of the five teams during the regular season.
