CASTLETON, Vt. – The UMass Dartmouth field hockey team fell on the road to Vermont State University Castleton, 5-2, on Saturday during the regular season finale. The Spartans secure the top-seed in the Little East Conference (LEC) standings with the win over the Corsairs who conclude their 2024 season with 4-16 overall record and a 1-5 record in league play.
The Spartans took a quick 2-0 lead to start the game as both Gwyn Vincent and Peyton Richardson each found the back of the cage in the opening five minutes of play. The home team continued to apply pressure on the attack earning a pair of penalty corners before notching their third goal of the first period to make it 3-0.
VTSU Castleton once again started strong on offense posting three early shot attempts to force the first two saves for first year
Shane Cueman checking into the game to start the second period. At the 21:11 mark, Arianna Spiezio scored for the Spartans to extend their lead to 4-0 before the break.
After a quiet third period, the Corsairs generated attacking momentum to open the final period as first year forward
Kenzie Bliven ripped the first shot on frame to force a save by Spartans goalie Zoe Martin. Bliven collected her rebound and passed to classmate
Arlene Johnson who slotted the ball into the cage for her first collegiate goal to make it 4-1.
A few minutes later, UMass Dartmouth earned a penalty corner taken by sophomore defender
Sophia Bouffard. She sent the ball to the top of the arc where senior captain
Jenna Carvalho settled the pass before passing over to Bliven. Bliven tapped the ball over a Spartans stick and into the bottom left corner to cut the home team's advantage in half to make it a 4-2 game.
Despite the Corsairs late push, VTSU Castleton sealed their victory following a goal in the 54
th minute by Emilee Higgins to end the game by a final score of 5-2.
The Spartans outshot the Corsairs by a 22-4 margin and held a 16-4 edge in total shots on-goal. VTSU Castleton also were favorites on penalty corner earning 14 in the game while UMass Dartmouth had four in the contest.
Bliven scored her eighth goal of the season tying her with Bouffard as the top-scorers on the squad. Johnson recorded her first career goal as a Corsairs while Carvalho dished out her team-leading seventh assist on the year.
Senior
Hannah Trombly posted one save and allowed three goals after opening the first period of the game. Cueman finished the game for UMass Dartmouth producing 10 stops and allowing two goals after 45 minutes of action.
