KEENE, N.H. –
Ellie Hunkins had a hat trick within the first 18 minutes of the game and scored four times overall as the Keene State College field hockey team dismantled the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth 8-3 in a Little East Conference quarterfinal Tuesday night at Owl Athletic Complex.
Records
- Keene State: 11-10
- UMass-Dartmouth: 7-13
How It Happened
Much like the regular season meeting that ended up 6-2 on September 11 where KSC built a 5-0 halftime edge, the Owls jumped on the Corsairs right away – this time even faster – scoring three times in the opening 9:47 (all within 3:09 of each other) on their way to a 5-1 halftime lead that was never threatened. Keene State outshot UMass-Dartmouth 11-2 in the opening 30 minutes and 19-6 for the game while advancing to the LEC semifinals once more. They have gotten past the quarterfinals in every season since 2001.
KSC's two scoring leaders got the Owls up and running quickly, with
Irini Stefanakos burying a breakaway chance past UMD goalkeeper Alyssa McDonough for a 1-0 lead 6:38 in. Hunkins then scored twice in a 2:11 span just moments later (tying Stefanakos for the team lead in goals in the process) to balloon the advantage to 3-0, and Keene State tacked on two more early in the second to make it 5-0 in less than 18 minutes. Hunkins finshed off a nice pass by
Grace Taylor at the 17:43 mark and then Taylor herself fought off a UMD defender, turned and scored just 45 seconds later as it was all Keene State. The Owls had seven penalty corners in the first quarter alone and a 16-6 edge in that category overall.
Leading 5-1 at the break, nothing changed after, as KSC was on the board in 50 seconds in the second half when
Maggie Cahoon inserted one of the corner chances in to
Lauren Hausser for a blast from the top of the circle that found the back of the cage. Hunkins added to her career single-game best with her fourth tally of the night in the 40th minute when she took a ball that McDonough tried to kick away and spun her around, beating her to the left side. KSC led 7-2 at that point and added one more 51 seconds into the fourth when Stefanakos scored for the second time in the game and 18th time on the season, one behind Hunkins' 19. The two combined for six of the eight goals on the evening and have a combined 37 on the season (85 points).
Two of UMass-Dartmouth's three goals were scored on penalty strokes from Hannah Steen. Brittany Perry scored the other, but the Corsairs closed their season by allowing a season-high in goals. McDonough made five saves in the loss.
Victoria Watson started in the KSC cage and made one stop while playing the first half, improving to 4-0.
Molly Edmark played the second half and came in for Steen's stroke late in the first half, making two saves in 30 minutes.
Penalty Strokes
- KSC has won seven of 10 postseason meetings against UMass-Dartmouth and now the last four in the overall series by a combined score of 31-6.
- The Owls, who started the season 1-7, are 10-3 since and now over .500 for the first time this season. They also improved to 7-4 at home this evening.
- Hunkins has scored in three consecutive games (seven goals) and four of the last five. Stefanakos also has five goals and two assists over the past three games dating to KSC's 9-2 win over Castleton University.
Up Next
- Keene State will host the University of Southern Maine (13-8, 9-3 LEC) in the semifinals on Thursday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. The Owls have won eight of the first 10 postseason meetings between the teams.
- UMass-Dartmouth closes their campaign with three consecutive losses by a combined 15-3 score. They lost seven of nine road contests, including two in Keene.
