Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –
Irini Stefanakos notched her first career goal and second assist, but the Keene State College field hockey team allowed a momentum-changing goal with 31 seconds left in the first half and then another just 1:53 into the second in an eventual 4-2 loss to Springfield College in the Pride's season-opener at Stagg Field Saturday afternoon.
Records
- Keene State: 0-2
- Springfield: 1-0
How It Happened
Stefanakos got the helper on Keene State's first goal of the season on Thursday night against the University of New England and got the Owls off on the right foot just 2:49 into today's game, but the Pride scored the next four goals and outshot KSC 11-4 in the middle two periods to take complete control. Keene State's 1-0 lead lasted less than three minutes, as Springfield scored after earning a corner chance when Carly Torrance found Audrey Bresciano to tie the game. Bresciano scored again later and has three goals against Keene State in the last two meetings, both Springfield wins.
The Pride begun to take a territorial advantage as the half wore on, outshooting KSC 6-2 in the second quarter. The pressure eventually resulted in the go-ahead goal in the waning moments of the period as Kaitlyn Plummer fed Camryn Morano for a score with 31 seconds left after the ball got past Owl keeper
Molly Edmark when she tried to kick it out.
Springfield removed most of the doubt from the outcome by scoring twice in the opening 17 minutes of the second half, including less than two minutes in when off a restart, Emma Robinson beat Edmark to the short side for a 3-1 lead. Keene State had a pair of corner chances in the ensuing minutes as they hoped to stay in the game, but Springfield goalie Lyndsey DeLasho saved a shot by Emily white – the Owls' lone try on target in the third quarter – at the 39:32 mark. Bresciano made it 4-1 a little over two minutes into the fourth when she found the back of the cage immediately after the Pride's sixth penalty corner opportunity of the game. Keene State was held to two shots in each of the final three quarters. DeLasho (1-0) made four saves to get the win. Edmark played 49:11 in the KSC cage, making four stops while falling to 0-2.
Victoria Watson played the final 10:49.
Stefanakos made it a multi-point game – her first – when she recorded a helper on
Ellie Hunkins' goal with a little over a minute to go.
Penalty Strokes
- Springfield outshot KSC 16-9 in the game, 10-7 on goal, and had a 7-5 edge in corners. Fourteen of the Pride's shots came in the final 45 minutes. The nine shots are Keene State's fewest in a head-to-head matchup since they recorded four in a 1-0 loss in 2014.
- Keene State has lost three of four in the series after winning seven of the previous eight. They had won in each of their last two visits to Springfield by a combined score of 9-3.
Up Next
- Keene State returns home for four consecutive games at Owl Athletic Complex, beginning with Tuesday's (September 7) matchup against preseason-No. 19 Trinity College (Conn.) that begins at 6:30 p.m. The game will mark the Bantams' season-opener.
- Springfield goes to Fitchburg State University (1-1) on the same day at 4:00 p.m.
