KEENE, N.H. – Sophomore forward Grace Bazin (Westminster, Vt.) buried two goals, including the game-winner with 2:07 left in the second overtime session, as the Keene State College field hockey team edged New England College 3-2 on Thursday night in non-conference action at Don Melander Field.

Records

• Keene State:  4-2
• New England College:  2-3

How It Happened
The Owls posted their second win when trailing at halftime in three road efforts this season, scoring twice in the third quarter to take their first lead, and then weathered the Pilgrims tying the game midway through the fourth to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season.  For Bazin, who now has a goal in five consecutive games (six total in that span) and Irini Stefanakos, it was another day at the office, accounting for all three KSC goals and 16 of their 32 shots.

Although at the end of the day the Owls peppered NEC with shots, those did not come early, as a slow start resulted in the Pilgrims – entering off two consecutive losses by a combined 6-1 score – with an 8-1 edge (eight shots represented a third of their eventual total) in shots over the opening 7:56 of the contest.  Keene State goalkeeper Clara Gorman was a big reason the game remained scoreless, stopping a pair of shots by Mikayla Vincent and one each from Drea Chin and Martina Hill in that span.  The Owls slowly arose offensively from there, forcing NEC keeper Makenzie Anderson to make a stop on Elizabeth Gonyea in the 11th minute.  KSC had a pair of other shot attempts blocked early in the second, and then saw themselves trailing at the 22:24 mark when Adelaide Kelly corralled a ball near the circle and knifed to her left before lofting a ball over Gorman for a 1-0 lead.  New England College would carry that advantage to into the halftime break, outshooting KSC 11-9.

Keene State surpassed their first half shot total in the third quarter alone – and it paid off in the final minutes of the period when they flipped a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead.  Gorman made a pair of initial saves nearly right out of the halftime locker room to keep it 1-0.  From there, the Owls put a significant amount of pressure on the Pilgrims.  Initially they still could not solve Anderson, though, as she stopped a pair of quickfire shots by Molly Murray and Stefanakos in the 39th minute before later denying Bazin and Murray within six seconds a minute later.  Anderson had no answer with a little over three minutes left in the quarter when Bazin came rushing up the right side and fired a shot past her in an impressive individual effort, tying it at one.  Gorman made a save on Chin 36 seconds later to help KSC avoid a momentum-halting goal, and that proved to be even bigger when Stefanakos generated an impressive individual marker when she gathered a pass from Grace Seabury at the top of the circle and fought for the ball among Anderson and a pair of NEC defenders, eventually poking a shot past all three for a 2-1 lead.

KSC entered the fourth nursing a one-goal lead, but it ultimately did not last long, as Vincent – a big part of the Pilgrims' attack – capitalized on a rush chance for a spin around goal in the middle of the circle for a 2-2 tie in the 53rd minute.  The Owls' chances evaporated for the rest of regulation and NEC pushed for a lead, but their corner at the 53:15 mark resulted in only a wide shot and Gorman again stopped Chin with 32 seconds left to send it to overtime.

The Owls carried the play in the overtime sessions, outshooting New England College 12-5, but Anderson made five saves to keep her team alive in what morphed into a compelling contest with plenty of chances as the night wore on.  Ultimately and perhaps fittingly, it was Bazin who won it as the clock ticked toward a rare penalty shootout.  KSC appeared as if they might have had a numbers advantage up field after Hannah Olmstead forced NEC to cough it up, but the Owls passed outside and elected to organize while everybody retreated.  It worked out more than well in the end, as Bazin jumped on a lose ball from behind the circle that Anderson had kicked out, though not far enough, and beat her to her right side for the game-winner.

Penalty Strokes

• It marked the third consecutive game against NEC to require overtime.  The Pilgrims won the previous two, 2-1 in 2021 at home and 4-3 in 2022 in Keene.  The Owls lead the all-time series 14-7.
• KSC had a 32-24 advantage in shots.  After being outshot 8-4 in the first, they outshot NEC 28-16 over the final three quarters and both overtimes.
• Bazin is currently tied for second in the LEC with six goals.  Emily Harris of Vermont State University Castleton leads with 14.

Up Next

• Keene State returns home for their final game at Owl Athletic Complex in September when they host the University of New England (2-3) on Saturday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m.
• New England College, now a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, has a league game at Dean College (0-6) on Sunday, September 17 at 1:00 p.m.