Box Score HENNIKER, N.H. –
Ellie Hunkins and
Jordyn Martin each scored their first goals of the brief spring campaign 3:13 apart in the fourth quarter as the Keene State College field hockey team blanked New England College 2-0 in non-conference action at a rainy Don Melander Field Thursday afternoon.
Records
- Keene State: 2-2
- New England College: 0-2
How It Happened
After totaling just seven shots in the opening 45 minutes, Keene State exploded for nine in the final 15, two of which found the back of the cage, as the Owls won in a rare second consecutive matchup at the same venue against the same team after the two sides played just last Friday, a 4-1 win for KSC. That afternoon, it was Owl star
Nina Bruno's hat trick that helped pave the way to a victory. Today, it was a different formula, as Keene State got tallies from Hunkins and Martin for the first time in 2020-2021 and a combined nine stops from goalkeepers
Molly Edmark and
Victoria Watson, both of whom played a half. The freshmen backstops have split time in each of Keene State's four contests this season as head coach
Amy Watson and her staff likely aim to get each one game experience in preparation for the 2021 season that begins in September.
Edmark and Watson were needed in a big way, certainly in the opening 45 minutes, as the Owls could not find their footing offensively, managing only one shot in the first quarter – at the 14:16 mark – that was turned aside by Ellie Philben, who made 12 saves on the day for NEC including four on Bruno. Edmark had to make four stops of her own in the opening 13:46 as the Pilgrims attempted to grab a lead for the first time in either game this season. Mikayla Vincent had a pair of quickfire chances within seconds of each other in the 14th minute, but Edmark was there.
The second quarter was all Keene State, as they clamped down and held NEC without a shot, but Philben stopped all three shots that came her way. The game remained scoreless at the break with the teams combining for just nine shots and one corner, taken by New England College.
The Pilgrims reasserted themselves quickly in the third quarter, forcing Watson – who entered to start the half – to stop a try from Lilli McCormack just 1:32 in. Rawiyah Nakyanzi's bid about a minute later after an NEC corner was blocked. The goalkeeper duel, and scoreless tie, rolled on late in the period, as Philben saved shots by Martin and
Hailey Patridge before Watson kicked away Aviara Challinor's try with a minute to go.
Philben stopped four more tries in less than two minutes to start the fourth as NEC was under serious pressure in a quarter where KSC ended up generating nine shots, more than they had in the opening three quarters combined (7) and nine corners. The Owls finally broke the ice when Hunkins, who had four goals a season ago, got one past Philben, who could not control a rebound of Martin's shot following a corner. KSC kept pushing after taking a 1-0 lead and it was not long before it was 2-0, as Martin rifled a shot through traffic following
Maggie Cahoon's corner insert with 7:49 to go. New England College was finally able to get the ball in their offensive part of the field in the waning minutes, but Watson made a pair of stops and Drea Chin's penalty shot that probably marked their last hope at the 3:19 mark was wide.
Penalty Strokes
- Keene State has won eight in a row in the series by a combined score of 35-6. They have taken 13 of 18 head-to-head overall.
- The Owls' freshmen goalkeeping tandem has made 33 saves in four games while allowing 10 goals.
Up Next
- Keene State visits Plymouth State University (0-2, 0-2 LEC) and their new turf facility on Wednesday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m.
- New England College travels to Eastern Connecticut State University (3-0, 3-0 LEC) next Thursday (April 22) for a 5:00 p.m. start.
