JOHNSON, Vt. – Johnson State suffered  a 3-1 North Atlantic Conference defeat at home to New England College on Saturday in a storm-interrupted contest at Minaert Field.  The Pilgrims improve to 7-6-1, 2-3-1 NAC while Johnson slips to 8-3-1, 3-2-1 NAC.

NEC received a pair of scores from Taylor Smith (Concord, N.H.), one assisted by Samantha Levine (Windham, Maine), and a goal from Veronica Hytner (St. James, N.Y.).  Johnson's score came from freshman Nicole Bordeau (Sanford, Maine/Sanford).

Tricia Sardagnola made seven stops for NEC to pick up the win while Johnson's Kelley Lucia (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown) recorded seven saves in the losing decision.

The Pilgrims would strike first when Levine advanced a ball up the right side finding Smith who sent a shot towards the far post that Lucia was able to get hands on but not handle and the ball would trickle over the goal line for 1-0 lead with just under eight minutes left in the first half.

The margin would move to 2-0 when NEC's Kristen Walker (Franklin, Mass.) was talked at the top of the penalty box with a foul resulting.  Hytner would tuck the deadball kick just under the crossbar with 26:02 left on the clock.

Johnson would strike back just 1:08 later on a similar sequence with a foul in the center of the field just outside the penalty box.  Bordeau would also lace a shot just under the crossbar making the score 2-1.

The third NEC score, Smith's second, when she sent a ball in front of the net that deflected of a Johnson defender and into the goal with 8:30 remaining and providing the eventual final score.

Johnson will now host Colby-Sawyer on Sunday at 12 pm, the Badgers' Senior Day, while New England College moves on to play at Lyndon State College also at noon on Sunday.