KEENE, N.H. 11/2/13 – The Keene State College field hockey team captured the Little East Conference regular season championship with a 3-2 victory over UMass-Dartmouth before a spirited Senior Day crowd at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

With the win, KSC (15-3, 10-0 LEC), which has won five straight, claims its 10thLEC regular season title. The Owls go undefeated in the conference for the fifth time. They also accomplished that feat in 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2011.

"It was a great game. It would've been a lot more enjoyable if I was watching and not coaching," said KSC Coach Amy Watson.  "It's always a great match-up when we play UMass-Dartmouth." 

Both teams played great," said senior captain Aimee Donaruma (Hampden, Mass.). "It was an all-around team effort."   

"This win means a lot," said senior Katlyn Simula.  "Before the game we were stressing to everybody how much it means to us and how we want to go undefeated in the LEC and everyone worked so hard today."

The Owls will be the top seed in the LEC tournament and will host a first-round game on Tuesday against eighth seed Worcester State on Tuesday. UMass-Dartmouth (13-6, 9-2 LEC) will also host a quarterfinal LEC tournament game against #5 Southern Maine on Tuesday.

Freshman Kayla Renaud (Somers, Conn.) gave KSC a 1-0 lead at the 28:45 mark of the half when she finished off a crossing ball from senior Leddy Gallagher (Acton, Mass.).

After freshman Hunter Carden (Branford, Conn.) tied the game with an unassisted goal five minutes into the second half, the Owls struck for two quick goals within a span of a minute to take a 3-1 lead.  Gallagher's shot from the edge of the circle beat UMD senior goalie Lauren O'Brien (Rochester, Mass.) to make it 2-1.  A minute later, junior Marisa Leomine (Berlin, N.H.) scored a key insurance goal that ended up being the game-winner.

"Leddy (Gallagher) was persistent and kept on working the ball in.  She had a great cross and I tipped it in," said Lemoine about her 11th goal of the season.  "It was senior day, but everyone wanted to win."  

Carden netted her second goal of the game six minutes later, but the Owls were able to hang on for the win.

Keene State outshot the Corsairs 15-11 while UMD had an 8-4 advantage in corners.

Sophomore Meaghan Dwyer (Rutland, Mass.) finished the game with five saves for the Owls.  O'Brien stopped seven shots for the Corsairs.