Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth junior Nicole Starkey-Cox (Warwick, R.I.) registered her first collegiate hat trick, including the game-winner in the 98th minute, to power the Corsairs to a 4-3 overtime victory over Keene State College Saturday evening in a Little East Conference women's soccer match on Cressy Field. UMass Dartmouth earned its first victory over the Owls since 2003.
The Corsairs (6-5-1) earned their 10th point (3-1-1) to move into a second place tie with Western Connecticut in the conference standings, while the Owls (8-5-2) slipped into a fourth place tie with UMass Boston.
UMass Dartmouth created its final scoring opportunity off a corner kick. Sophomore Abby Silva (Fall River, Mass.) hit the cross bar, but freshman Courtney Hewitt (North Attleboro, Mass.) gathered the rebound and sent a quick touch to Starkey-Cox. Starkey-Cox buried the game-winner into the top left corner of the net to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Starkey-Cox paced the Corsair offensive attack with a career-high six points. Hewitt was credited with two assists, while Silva accounted for the hosts' opening score.
Sophomore Becca Field (Brentwood, N.H.) was impressive in her collegiate debut in net, recording six saves, to earn the victory.
Keene State sophomore Taylor Farland (Fiskdale, Mass.) led the Owls offensive attack, converting one of her 10 attempts. She bent a free kick inside the far, right post to open the scoring in the sixth minute. Freshman Patricia Norton (Hampton, Conn.) and junior Sierra Trzepacz (Enfield, Conn.) scored three minutes apart to help the visitors overcome a 2-1 halftime deficit.
Junior Danielle Warhall (Spofford, N.H.) played all 97 minutes, 27 seconds in net for Keene State, finishing with a pair of stops.
Keene State outshot UMass Dartmouth 17-11, but the Corsairs recorded three of the four attempts in overtime.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 1 p.m. on Oct. 24, when the Corsairs travel to Plymouth State for Little East Conference contest.
