Box Score KEENE, N.H. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth field hockey team had its quest for the 2014 Little East Conference Championship stymied as top-seeded Keene State College scored three unanswered goals to rally for a 3-1 come-from-behind victory this afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.
The Owls (19-4) captured their second straight and ninth overall conference championship, earning the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Championship tournament. The Corsairs (12-11) were seeking their fourth tournament title in the past six years after raising the trophy in 2009, 2010, and 2012.
UMass Dartmouth cracked the scoring column in the 22nd minute to take an early 1-0 advantage. Sophomore Michaela Carrier (Richmond, R.I.) inserted the penalty corner to junior Emily Anderson (Medway, Mass.), who found classmate Jill Levrault (Somerset, Mass.) for her team-leading 15th goal of the campaign.
Keene State College netted the equalizer in the 31st minute, as senior Marisa Lemoine (Berlin, N.H.) scored the first of her two markers to send the teams into the halftime intermission deadlocked at 1-all.
The Owls seized control of the match in the early minutes of the second stanza. In the 38th minute, Lemoine potted her second goal of the contest and 13th of the campaign to give the hosts a lead they would never relinquish.
Keene State College sealed the victory with an insurance marker in the 49th minute, when sophomore Brittney Cardente (North Kingstown, R.I.) tallied her fourth goal of the season.
The Corsairs would not go quietly as the visitors applied consistent pressure to the hosts' defensive backline over the final 20 minutes of regulation. UMass Dartmouth registered seven consecutive shot attempts, forcing the Owl netminder to record five saves. The Corsairs also won the final five penalty corners of the afternoon, but were unable to convert.
Junior Meaghan Dwyer (Rutland, Mass.) made eight saves to earn the win, while her counterpart, sophomore Elizabeth St. Germaine (Wareham, Mass.), recorded seven stops.
UMass Dartmouth held a slight edge in shots (13-12), while winning nine of the 13 penalty corners.
