CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Nicole Sales (Woodbury, Conn.) of the Wells College field hockey team saved her first goal of the year for the season's biggest game. Scoring early in the first half, her goal powered the Express to a 1-0 victory over Wilson College in the first-ever North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Field Hockey Championship game on Saturday. 

This was the first NEAC Field Hockey Championship after becoming the conference’s 18th-sponsored sport this year. 

Sales' goal came only 7:45 into regulation time. Following a Wilson foul, Wells was issued a penalty corner that was taken by senior Chandler Fitzgerald (Weedsport, N.Y.).  Sent to the perimeter of the circle, junior Shianne Stokes (Mays Landing, N.J.) launched a shot that was tipped home by Sales for what proved to be the game-winning goal.  Stokes would go on to earn NEAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors for her efforts in setting up the game-winning strike along with her play on both sides of the field. 

Wells came away victorious despite Wilson holding the advantage in shots by a six-to-four margin and in penalty corners, 11-to-4. A major reason why was the play of Wells College senior goalie Kendrick Wilson (Collins, N.Y.).  Of her four saves on the afternoon, her most important stop came at 29:02 of the first half as she turned aside a penalty stroke by Wilson junior Megan Sterling (Aspers, Pa.). 

This is the first-ever conference championship for the Wells field hockey program in its 40th season of varsity play (first within the NEAC). Wilson, the NEAC regular season champions, wraps up its season with an 8-8 overall record.

*Major portions of this release courtesy of Wells College sports information director Griffin Spencer

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The North Eastern Athletic Conference has fourteen NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cazenovia College, College of St. Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University - Abington, Pennsylvania State University - Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville State College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Wells College, and Wilson College.  Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (M Volleyball), Hilbert College (M Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Penn State Altoona (M Volleyball) and Rutgers University - Camden (M Golf).  The North Eastern Athletic Conference has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sports of field hockey and men’s and women’s tennis.