PROVIDENCE, R.I.- The Dean College Bulldogs field hockey team fell to Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday, 7-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. JWU, the defending GNAC champion, scored 22 seconds into the action and never looked back, en route to a comfortable victory. 

Shortly after the opening whistle, Megan Salsinha found the back of the net, assisted by Ava Pontes and Haley Budenas for her sixth goal of the season. Five minutes later, Izzy Ward tacked on her fourth goal of the season, unassisted, to give JWU a 2-0 lead. Salsinha scored another before the period was over, again assisted by the duo of Pontes and Budenas to give the hosts a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

JWU scored one goal in the second quarter, Salsinha's third of the night and eighth of the season, on an assist from Pontes. The Bulldogs recorded only one shot in the first half, off the stick of first-year Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, N.Y.). First-year Sara Gardner (Hampstead, Md.) made 13 first-half saves. 

In the second half, JWU continued to pull away, scoring three more times to account for the seven goal advantage. In the third quarter, Rayne MIllett and Samantha Blahut both added unassisted tallies to increase the Wildcat's edge. Ward added her second of the night to put the game away in the fourth. 

The Wildcats were led by Salsinha, who finished with three goals on five shots.  Ward added two goals while Pontes registered three assists. 

Dean was outshot 37-1 and ceded a 12-3 edge in penalty corners. Gardner finished the day 19 saves, while senior Madison Gilbert (Sanbornton, N.H.) added a defensive save.

Dean falls to 5-6 (2-3 GNAC) with the loss, while the Wildcats improve to 7-3 (4-0 GNAC). Up next for the Bulldogs is a GNAC matchup with St. Joseph's College of Maine.on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Standish, Me. JWU will look to continue their winning streak at home against New England College on Saturday, as well.