'KEENE, N.H. 10/3/06 - Keene State College edged UMass-Dartmouth 2-1 in a battle of top Little East Conference field hockey teams at Owl Athletic Complex on Tuesday.

Winners of four straight, Keene State (8-3, 6-0) remains undefeated in conference play and on top of the LEC standings.  UMass-Dartmouth (9-2, 4-2 LEC) saw its five game winning streak come to an end. 

Marrissa Boccaccio (West Hartford, Conn.) scored the game winner for the Owls at the 58:11 mark of the second half.  The junior midfielder took a bouncing pass from Amanda Rosenbeck (Wilder, Vt.) on the right wing and fired a shot into the far corner of the net for her first goal of the season.

The Corsairs took a 1-0 lead at the 14:44 mark of the first half when Kylie Treat (Hampstead, N.H.) scored from the right corner of the net.  It was the first goal given up by Owl goalie Sara Joyce (Hampstead, N.H.) and KSC in LEC play this season.

KSC controlled play in the early stages of the second half and got the equalizer on a penalty corner play.  Rosenbeck took a feed from Karen Robinson and put the ball by Corsair goalie Liz Fitzgerald (Danvers, Mass.) for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Rosenbeck had an opportunity to give KSC an insurance goal with four minutes to play, but her penalty stroke was stopped by Fitzgerald, who finished with 10 saves.

Joyce tuned aside 10 shots for the Owls.

"This was a huge win for us," said KSC Coach Amy Watson.  "UMass-Dartmouth has really come on this season, so it was important for us get some breathing room in the standings and take another step in securing home field for the tournament."

KSC has won all 13 games against UMD in the series which began in 1997. 

Keene State hosts nationally ranked Middlebury College on Thursday (7 p.m.).  UMass-Dartmouth is at Becker College on Thursday (3:30 p.m.).