ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - After one postponement and a moved schedule date the No. 2 Salisbury University field hockey team finally got the 2008 season started on a Friday overcast afternoon. The Sea Gulls won 1-0 against St. Mary's (Md.) College on the road in a Capital Athletic Conference contest.

Salisbury (1-0, 1-0 CAC) was slated to begin its season this past Wednesday on the road against Hood College but the game was postponed due to poor field conditions and will be made up October 12 in Salisbury, Md. The Sea Gulls and Seahawks (2-1, 1-1 CAC) moved up today's contest from Saturday afternoon due to the expected inclement weather heading towards the region this weekend.

The two teams played a scoreless first half before the maroon and gold got on the board 14 minutes into the second half. Sophomore Kandice Hancock sent a free hit, outside the circle, to the far post where freshman Caitlin Walker got her stick on the ball and deflected it into the cage. The goal is Walker's first-ever collegiate goal.

The Sea Gulls outshot the Seahawks 25-8 and took 14 penalty corners to SMC's five. All-American junior Lauren Correll led the team with nine shots, six on goal. Sophomore Courtney Webster made her highly anticipated SU debut after being sidelined last season with an injury. Webster and Caitlin Walker had five shots, three on goal, apiece in the win. Hancock (four shots) was the only other Gull to have shots on goal (two).

SU sophomore goalie Anna Cooke made four saves in her Sea Gull debut. The Miami University of Ohio and Old Dominion University transfer played all 70 minutes for Salisbury. Cooke's counterpart Emma Lauhoff stopped 12 shots, eight in the first half, for the Seahawks.

The shutout is the first of the season for the new rebuilt Salisbury defense. SU coach Dawn Chamberlin started senior Heather Berntsen, sophomore Katie Fost and freshman Tara McGovern at the back position.

The Sea Gulls return home to host No. 10 Christopher Newport University on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in Sea Gull Stadium. Salisbury has lost its last two games with CNU. The Captains gave the Gulls their only regular-season loss last season, 2-1 on the road, in the second game of the year for Salisbury. CNU also ended the SU championship reign with a 2-1 overtime win in the 2006 NCAA second round tournament game.