KEENE, N.H. – Sophomore forward Irini Stefanakos scored two goals in the fourth quarter and added an assist earlier in the game to continue her torrid stretch as the Keene State College field hockey team downed the University of Southern Maine 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex for a key Little East Conference victory.

Records

• Keene State:  9-8, 8-2 LEC
• Southern Maine:  12-6, 9-2 LEC

Postgame Interview (Coach Watson)
Postgame Interview (Irini Stefanakos)

How It Happened
Entering the day with still too many LEC playoff scenarios to count easily, what was clear is that if the Owls won, they would very much be alive for a chance at a regular season title heading into the final week.  So, too, was that if KSC fell to the Huskies at home for just the second time ever and first since 2003, they could have been staring at more scenarios than not that had them slated for a rare road quarterfinal game.  Keene State came through, scoring twice in 1:39 in the second quarter to take a 2-0 lead and never trailed as they ended the Huskies' four-game winning streak and handed them their first regulation loss since September 22.  USM had outscored their opponents 24-1 during their last four victories, but instead today saw their goals allowed quadrupled.

Trailing 2-0 late in the third quarter, Southern Maine twice drew within one, but Stefanakos was there at the most important times, answering both of the visitors' tallies less than three minutes later to keep the Owls in control when it otherwise could have been a very tense ending.

The Huskies definitely had chances, particularly in the opening half as they had six of their 10 penalty corners in the first 30 minutes, but KSC snuffed out each one, including with a little over four minutes left until halftime when Elizabeth Gonyea batted Chloe Arsenault's shot out of the air and away from the cage that would have otherwise gone in, as it was over the head of KSC keeper Clara Gorman.  That marked her second defensive save of the game, as she also swept away Sage Drinkwater's shot less than six minutes in that would have allowed USM to strike first and take an early lead, perhaps changing the tenor of the game.  Following the second quarter sequence, Gorman stopped another try from Arsenault and one from Brooke Carson herself in the ensuing moments to ensure the Owls stayed in front 2-0 at halftime.  That lead was made possible with two quick-strike tallies early in the second, as Chase Lambert corralled a ball that stayed in bounds by the right post and fired it over to Demetria Gonzalez, who was there by the left post to put it home for a 1-0 lead at the 19:10 mark.  It did not take long for it to double, as just 1:39 later, KSC capitalized on a corner, with Stefanakos passing into Hannah Wood, whose blast evaded USM goalkeeper Eleanor Folsom.

Keene State nursed that 2-0 lead for much of the third quarter, staving off three corners while surrendering just one shot (which was blocked), but Southern Maine made things interesting when Arsenault corralled a long rebound off a Gorman save, moved to the middle, and fired a shot into the back of the cage to make it 2-1 with 51 seconds left in the period.  It seemed as though it could have been another momentum-changing end-of-period goal surrendered by the Owls, but Stefanakos made sure it most certainly was not.  In the first real action of the final quarter less than two minutes in, the KSC sophomore offensive leader received a pass from Maggie Cahoon before the midfield line as the Owls' pressure paid off, with Stefanakos then doing it all herself, moving around defenders as she moved up the field before getting into a circle and rocketing a shot past Folsom after a slight move to her right to make it 3-1.  Gorman denied Arsenault and Carson in the next six minutes, but Southern Maine once again drew within one in the 55th minute when this time a lofted ball over Gorman's head worked out, as Hannah Banks made it 3-2.  Pushing for an equalizer – for 54 seconds at least – USM's chances likely evaporated when Ellie Hunkins picked Olivia Staggs' pocket around midfield, carried down, and found Stefanakos for a goal on a sweeping shot right in front of Folsom for a 4-2 lead with 4:19 to go.  The Owls locked it down from here, holding the Huskies shotless the rest of the way.

Gorman (8-7) made six stops in the win, while Folsom (5-2) made two saves in the losing effort.

Penalty Strokes

• Stefanakos has six goals and six assists (18 points) over her last four games.
• KSC is 31-5 in the all-time series, including winning 19 of 20 matchups in Keene.  The teams last met in the Little East Conference tournament semifinals last November, a 5-2 win for the Owls.
• Gonyea spent the fall semester at USM last year before transferring to KSC for the spring.  She also is on the Owls' women's basketball team.
• USM had a 12-10 edge in shots and 10-4 in penalty corners.

Up Next

• Keene State travels to Castleton University (9-7, 7-3 LEC) on Tuesday, October 25 for a 7:00 p.m. start.  The Spartans drubbed Westfield State 8-1 on the road Saturday night.
• Southern Maine concludes conference play with a game at Plymouth State University (10-4, 8-2 LEC) on Tuesday night at 6:00.