Box Score LEC BRACKET
DARTMOUTH, Mass. – UMass Dartmouth used aggressive play and made the most of its good opportunities on Senior Day, securing the No. 4 seed for next week's Little East Conference Championship with a 2-0 win over visiting Plymouth State.
The Basics
Score: UMass Dartmouth 2, Plymouth State 0
Records: UMass Dartmouth (6-11-2, 3-4-0 LEC) | Plymouth State (9-5-2, 3-4-0 LEC)
How it Happened
The Corsairs found their chances early and often, collecting two corner kicks and four shots in the first 10 minutes. In the 11th minute, senior Erica Hammond (Warwick, R.I.) lined up for a free kick from 25 yards out, and sent the ball into the middle of the box. Classmate Nicole Starkey-Cox (Warwick, R.I.) connected for a header as Panther goalkeeper Annaliese Schmidt (Newmarket, N.H.) charged out, putting enough on the ball to bounce into net.
UMass Dartmouth would finish the first half with 13 shots to Plymouth State's single try, with Schmidt making five quality saves to keep the game within reach. The Panthers came out of the break attacking, as Hannah Kallis (Sanford, Maine) footed a shot off the opening whistle, but Corsair goalkeeper Madison Boucher (Southampton, Mass.) wrapped up the chance.
Plymouth State's best chance at goal came in the 52nd minute, when Caitlin Catania (Billerica, Mass.) chipped a shot past the charging Boucher. The try looked sure to trickle into the net, but Hammond made a full-on sprint to knock the ball off the goal line.
In the 80th minute, the Corsairs effectively shut the door. Junior Abby Silva (Fall River, Mass.) faked out her defender on the far side, and sent a well-placed pass across the box to sophomore Courtney Hewitt (North Attleboro, Mass.), whose one-touch redirected the shot over the right shoulder of a diving Schmidt.
Inside the Numbers
- Starkey-Cox and Hewitt's goals marked the first on the season for both players.
- The Corsairs footed their most shots since their last victory: a 2-1 overtime thriller against Southern Maine on Oct. 15.
- UMass Dartmouth held the Panthers to just seven tries on the contest, their lowest total since Oct. 15.
- Boucher made four stops with the clean sheet, collecting her fourth shutout of the season.
- Schmidt, the 2015 All-LEC First Team goalkeeper, turned aside nine UMass Dartmouth shots on the afternoon.
- The Corsairs up their unbeaten streak against Plymouth State to six games, with their last lost to Plymouth State coming in 2010.
Up Next
It will be déjà vu next Tuesday, as Plymouth State again travels to Dartmouth, this time as the No. 5 seed to meet the No. 4 Corsairs in the opening round of the LEC Tournament. Game time is slated for 4 p.m., and the winner will meet top-seeded Eastern Connecticut on Thursday.
