TROY, NY 10/16/13 – The Keene State College field hockey team dropped a 3-0 non-conference game on the road against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Wednesday evening at Harkness Field.

It was the first time the Owls (12-3) have been shutout this season. The Engineers ended a six-game skid to improve to 4-8.

Angela Cascio (Wyndmoor, Pa.) scored back-to-back goals in the second half to lead RPI to the win..

Jen Piselli (Branford, Conn.) scored the first goal of the game just shy of the 14-minute mark, as Kelsey Porter (Quechee, Vt.) dribbled into the circle and passed ahead towards the middle of the cage. Piselli connected on a shot and put the ball just past Keene State sophomore goalkeeper Chloe Audesse (Goffstown, N.H.) into the bottom right corner. The Engineers held onto the 1-0 lead through the rest of the first half, which ended with both teams recording seven shots.

Just over 10 minutes into the second stanza, Cascio doubled the Rensselaer advantage with an assist from Claire Cecilio (San Jose, CA.). The sophomore forward found the back of the cage after a flurry of shots in front of the Keene State goal, finally collecting a rebound from Cicilio and getting it over the goal line. The final Engineer goal came in a similar fashion, as Cascio knocked her first shot into the goalie pads, where it bounced back onto her stick. She changed her angle slightly and put RPI ahead, 3-0.

The Engineers outshot the Owls, 14-12, but Keene State managed a 15-11 advantage in penalty corners. Hannah Clough (Acton, Mass.) made six saves in the cage for Rensselaer, while defender Kelsea Messer also came up with a big defensive save for the Engineers. Audesse played just over 56 minutes between the pipes for the Owls, making five saves. Sophomore Meaghan Dwyer (Rutland, Mass.) came in for the final 13:55, stopping one RPI shot.

Keene State returns home on Saturday for a Little East Conference game against Eastern Conn. State (1:30 p.m.). 

(Courtesy RPI Sports Information)