FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Framingham State University scored first just 2:02 into Saturday night's game, but the Keene State College field hockey team took a lead less than 10 minutes later and went on to cruise to a 4-1 Little East Conference victory at Maple Street Field, maintaining a one-game lead for the top spot in the league standings with four to go.

Records

• Keene State:  7-9, 7-1 LEC
• Framingham State:  4-9, 1-8 LEC

How It Happened
The Owls' first deficit against the Rams in 12 years lasted all of three minutes and 12 seconds, as Maggie Cahoon notched the first of her two tallies on the evening in the 6th minute to tie the game before Demetria Gonzalez did the same at the 11:23 mark for a 2-1 lead.  It was the first career goal for the Owl defender from Merrimack, N.H., who previously recorded her first collegiate point this spring at Plymouth State University on April 21 and had two helpers in 20 games entering tonight including one earlier this season at Eastern Connecticut State University.  Despite Framingham's early tally through Jordyn O'Boyle on Senior Night seconds after a penalty corner, it was all Owls early, as they outshot the Rams 9-3 in the opening 15 minutes and had six of the eight corners in that period.  FSU goalkeeper Grace Pushor kept her team in the game, making five stops in the first alone and eight for the game.  Sarah Burke also had a defensive save on a bid by Hannah Wood, otherwise the score could have been worse than it was for the Rams after one.

Framingham had chances at the equalizer in the second while playing KSC even in the shots category (4-4), but Owl goalkeeper Molly Edmark kept a pair of shots out and Hailey Patridge cleared a shot away to keep her team, which has now won six of eight, in front.

Any doubt about the outcome was removed quickly after the halftime break, as Keene State came out of the locker room and scored twice in 6:52 with both scores coming from familiar faces.  Gonzalez doubled her fun in the 34th minute after sending home Wood's pass after a corner for a 3-1 lead, and only 3:09 after that, Cahoon found the back of the cage for a second time herself.  Irini Stefanakos rushed down the middle and into a high-danger spot before corralling the ball and dishing it off to Cahoon to the left, who did not miss and has now scored multiple goals in back-to-back games and found the cage in five of the last six.  Leading 4-1 with about 23 minutes to go in regulation (and eight in the third quarter), Keene State did not have much trouble from there, and ultimately increased their first place lead in the LEC to one game over Worcester State University and Westfield State University, both of whom are still left to play on the schedule.

Penalty Strokes

• Cahoon has seven goals and four assists in KSC's last six games.  Her eight on the year mark a new season-best.
• The Owls outshot the Rams 19-9 (13-5 on goal) and had an 11-5 edge in corners (8-2 in the opening 30 minutes).
• KSC leads the all-time series 21-2 and has not lost to Framingham since 2009 when the Rams upset a 19th-ranked Owl team 3-0 at Maple Street Field.  Before tonight, that was also the last time FSU held a lead in the series.

Up Next

• Keene State has an important league contest at home against Worcester State (11-4, 6-2 LEC), who has won four of five since losing to Framingham, on Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m.
• FSU goes to Westfield State (7-7, 6-2 LEC) on the same night (7:00 p.m.).