DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth field hockey team shouldered a tough overtime loss against Westfield State University on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 2-1. The Corsairs are now 1-2 on the young season while the Owls improved to a 2-2 overall record on the year.
The Owls took early control in the opening period of the game registering 11 total shots, but Corsairs goalie
Shane Cueman posted eight saves to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. Westfield State's Ashley D'Elia fired a shot on target just two minutes into the start of the second period, however junior captain
Sophia Bouffard came up big for UMass Dartmouth posting a defensive save, her third of the season. Cueman recorded two late stops before halftime, bringing her to 10 saves on the afternoon, to keep the contest knotted up at 0-0.
UMass Dartmouth flipped the script in the third period after earning a quick penlty corner at the 31:05 mark. After Bouffard lasered the ball to the top of the arc, junior
Ava Lozeau fired a shot that Owls goalie Olivia Labrie stopped. First year
Amelia Keeler collected the rebound and sent the ball back towards the Owls cage where junior Same King poked the ball by Labrie to give the Corsairs a 1-0 lead.
Westfield State responded quickly by drilling four shots on target, all of which were saved by Cueman. The Owls continued to apply pressure posting 11 shots in the remaining 10 minutes of the period featuring seven stops by Cueman to hold off the Owls offense onslaught heading into the final period.
The visitors tied the game up at the 54:23 mark in the fourth period thanks to a score by D'Elia to make it a 1-1 contest. UMass Dartmouth earned a pair of late penalty corners in the final minute of regulation, but Bouffard's shot went wide right to send the game into overtime. Both teams exchanged shots to open overtime with Cueman picking up another save with 60:56 on the clock. Kaleigh Murphy capitalized on a breakaway chance and dribbled the ball around Cueman to seal the Owls win by a final score of 2-1.
King notched her first goal of the season for UMass Dartmouth and marking her eighth of her career. Keeler produced her first collegiate assist as a Corsair in the loss for her first point of the season. Junior
Arlene Johnson and Lozeau each led the team with two shots in the game with both on frame.
Cueman finished the game with 25 total saves to match her career-high in the cage for UMass Dartmouth. Labrie concluded the contest with five stops and allowed one goal on the afternoon for Westfield State.
UMass Dartmouth returns to non-conference action on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at Wheaton College with a 7:00 p.m. start time.
