KEENE, N.H. 9/11/10 – The Keene State College field hockey team, opened the 2010 Little East Conference schedule with a 2-0 victory over the Eastern Conn. State University Warriors on Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex. The win improves the Owls to 4-0 on the season, while the loss drops the Warriors to 1-2.

The Owls dominated the first-half of the game, keeping control of the ball for most of the period and outshooting ECSU 15-1. KSC thought they hit the scoreboard with 11:30 left to play in the first, when junior defender Kerry Howe (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) took a pass from Elizabeth Coffin (Sugar Hill, N.H.) and rocketed it into the goal, but the goal was disallowed because of a KSC foul.

Warrior goaltender Tia Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) kept ECSU in the game in the first-half, making nine saves, until the Owls finally put one past her on a one-timer from freshman back Katlyn Simula (Bridgewater, N.H.) with 7:16 remaining in the period. Senior midfielder Leigh Smith (Sanborton, N.H.) was credited with the assist.

ECSU had their best scoring chance of the game with just over twenty minutes remaining in the second-half, when junior forward Ali Chapman (Watertown, Conn.) had a chance to score off a penalty corner but clanked it off the post.

After the Warrior scoring chance, the Owls kept control and put the game out of reach at the 46:36 mark on a Coffin strike from freshman midfielder Leddy Gallagher (Acton, Mass.) to make it 2-0 KSC.

Mucciarone finished the game with 15 saves for the Warriors in the losing effort. Freshman goalie Courtney Hearn (New Fairfield, Conn.) got the start for the Owls and played the first 27:44 without facing a shot, while senior netminder Meghan Ledoux (Standish, Maine) played the final 42:16 making a save and allowing no goals in the victory.

KSC outshot ECSU 29-2 on the match and had 11 penalty corners to the Warriors one.

The Owls return to action Wednesday, with a road game against regional foe Williams at 6 p.m. KSC returns home Saturday, with another LEC game against Framingham State 1:30 p.m. at Owl Athletic Complex.