Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. – Kristen Estes (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) netted her first career hat-trick, but Emily Widdison and Avery Orszulak each scored a pair of goals as the Nichols College field hockey team improved to 2-0 with a 7-6 win over Smith College in non-conference field hockey action Wednesday evening at Vendetti Field.
 
Smith outshot the Bison by a slim margin of 25-24. Junior Allie Stein (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) racked up eight points on the night on two goals and two assists while senior Dari Goulden (Rutledge, Pa./Strath Haven) picked up two assists.
 
Smith raced out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Estes and Stein in the opening 14:08 of the contest. Orszulak answered with her first two goals of the season to send the game into the half knotted at two. The Bison opened the second half with three goals in a span of 4:19 to grab a 5-2 lead as Widdison, Wilson, and sophomore Kaylee McNamara each found the back of the cage.
 
After the Pioneers climbed to within 5-3 on Stein's second marker of the evening, freshman Meghan Dombkowski took a feed from sophomore Jenn Townsend on a corner and registered her first collegiate goal less than a minute later to push the Bison lead back to three with 20 minutes remaining.
 
Estes capped off her hat trick with goals at 56:45 and 60:33 to bring Smith to within one before Widdison gave Nichols a two-goal cushion with her fourth of the season at 64:21. Senior Sophie Demuynck (Mt. Holly, N.J./Moorestown Friends) closed the scoring at 67:59.
 
Sophomore Emily Mercure (Milton, Vt./Milton) got the nod in goal from head coach Kristen Mallet and recorded 12 saves for the Bison. Savannah Lawson (Oak Bluffs, Mass./Martha's Vineyard) took the loss for Smith, allowing five goals on 12 shots before being replaced early in the second half by classmate Abbey Fleming (Beverly, Mass./Beverly), who finished with one save.
 
The Bison return to action on Thursday when they head to Mount Holyoke for a 7:00 p.m. contest. The Pioneers compete at the Vassar Invitational against Manhattanville Friday 5 p.m.

(Release courtesy Nichols Sports Information)