AMHERST, MASS.10/3/13 – The Keene State College field hockey team lost to 11th-ranked Amherst College 3-2 at Gooding Field on Thursday afternoon.

The upset-minded Owls (9-2) suffered their second loss of the season.  The Lord Jeffs (6-2) extend their winning steak to six games.

Sophomore Haylie Dolan (West Brookfield, Mass.) and junior Marisa Lemoine (Berlin, N.H.) scored for the Owls.  Lemoine has scored five goals in KSC's last three games. Junior Ellie Andersen and sophomores Katie Paolano and Annika Nygren accounted for the Amherst goals.

Controlling possession in the early going, Amherst won a pair of penalty corners in the game's first five minutes. Corralling a rebound off a pair of quick shots by seniors Alex Philie and Krista Zsitvay, Andersen tapped it home on the left post to give the Jeffs the lead just 3:38 after the opening whistle.

Keene State got tied the game in the 12 minute mark of the half. Coming up the left side, freshman Sami Smith (Merrimack, N.H.) slotted a pass across the crease to a charging Dolan. Catching the Amherst backline out of position, the forward calmly tucked the ball into an open net at 11:52.

With under 10 minutes to go in the half, the Purple & White earned their fourth penalty corner of the half. Receiving the ball at the top of the circle, Zsitvay put a hard shot on target, prompting a pad save from Keene sophomore goalie Chloe Audesse. Winning another corner at the tail-end of the first, Amherst pulled back in front as Nygren hammered home a rebound off a Tank shot near the right post.

Hoping to add to its tally at the start of the second stanza, Tank and Philie put consecutive shots on net as the Jeffs outshot the Owls 6-0 over the first 10 minutes. Switching fields, senior Leddy Gallagher (Acton, Mass.) went in on a breakaway, but Amherst sophomore netminder Rachel Tannenbaum came off her line to make a diving save.

Amherst added an insurance tally at the 53 minute mark of the game. . Racing up the right side, Tank sent a pass back across the middle. Gathering it in front of net, Paolano beat Audesse for her fifth goal in four games.

With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the Owls cut the deficit in half. Getting behind the Amherst defense, Smith fed Lemoine, who sidestepped Tannenbaum before backhanding a shot into the cage at 4:13. With less than a minute remaining Keene State would be awarded a penalty corner, but Tank poked the ball away from senior Katlyn Simula (Bridgewater, N.H.) near the top of the circle, clearing the ball to help seal the win.

The Jeffs finished with a decisive 23-4 shot advantage and a 12-2 edge in corners. Tannenbaum made a pair of saves to improve to 6-2; while Audesse had a career high 13 stops.

Keene State returns to Little East Conference play on Saturday when it hosts Western Conn. State in a 1:30 p.m. game.

(Courtesy Amherst College Sports Information)