KEENE, N.H. – Molly Murray had made all five of her penalty stroke attempts a season ago and, by the end or maybe before, had become the Keene State College field hockey team's penalty stroke specialist.  That specialty displayed itself again today, and turned out to be the only goal of the game, as the Owls blanked the University of New England 1-0 at the Owl Athletic Complex on a nice but blustery afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Records

• Keene State:  5-2
• University of New England:  2-4

Postgame Interview (Coach Watson)
Postgame Interview (Molly Murray)

How It Happened
Each team had a shotless quarter in the first half – with the Nor'easters registering the only two shots of the opening 15 minutes before KSC peppered the visitors with seven shots in the second quarter.  However, both defenses proved to be hard to crack, with opportunities at a minimum all day – only 11 shots on goal between the two teams (6-5 KSC).  UNE's only two shots of the first half came as a result of corners, as Owls goalkeeper Clara Gorman stopped a bid from Lily Clough in the sixth minute and Shelly Tremblay's bid at the 12:31 mark went wide.

The Owls were dominant in the second quarter as they looked to crack the scoreboard first, but Dawn Deweese-Moss made three stops for the Nor'easters in less than two minutes late in the period, keeping out tries from Irini Stefanakos, Grace Bazin, and Grace Seabury, who have combined for 12 goals this season (Bazin, a UNE transfer, as six).  KSC also came up empty on four corners in the second, and saw two Stefanakos shots go wide.  What seemed like would be a scoreless game at halftime with the Owls recording six of only eight shots saw a significant momentum shift when KSC pressured in the final minute and were eventually awarded a penalty stroke with 24.6 seconds to go.  Murray stepped up, and after seeing a string of six in a row made individually end a week ago, buried the chance for a 1-0 lead, an advantage Keene State carried to the locker room.

Keene State's offense waned in the second half, as they managed only three shots, but their defense remained strong, weathering a number of UNE chances including one where they generated five shots in a 1:58 span in the third quarter.  Gorman made a pair of saves to conclude that stretch, including two in seven seconds on Francesca Caccamo.  Two other shots for the Nor'easters were wide and one was blocked as they still trailed 1-0 halfway through the period.  KSC had a pair of shots in the 41st minute as they aimed to expand the lead, but Bazin was wide and her shot off a Stefanakos corner was stopped by Deweese-Moss.

UNE outshot KSC 5-2 in the third, and then continued that trend over the first 10 minutes of the fourth, forcing Gorman to make a pair of saves.  The Nor'easters saw Gorman stop Madi Robito in the 47th minute, and then Clough at 53:12.  Two other shots were wide and one was blocked in that span.  KSC had a corner chance late at the 57:18 mark to salt the game away for good, but Deweese-Moss stopped Elizabeth Gonyea to keep it a one-goal game.  However, the Owls were not threatened from there, locking it down without UNE getting any further chances.

Penalty Strokes

• It marked the first KSC win of the season when neither Bazin nor Stefanakos registered a point.
• UNE had a 10-3 edge in shots in the second half, including 5-1 in the fourth quarter that helped them to a 12-10 overall advantage in shots, though KSC had six of 11 on target.
• Murray is just one shot on goal away from matching her total from last year in 11 fewer games.
• Keene State's shutout is the first for either team in series history.

Up Next

• KSC now has five consecutive road games, beginning with a visit to Westfield State University (2-4) on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m.  WSU has lost two in a row by 4-0 scores.
• UNE, whose first three losses came against ranked opponents, plays another ranked opponent tomorrow (Sunday, September 17) as they travel to Trinity College (Conn.) (3-1) in Hartford for a 12:00 p.m. start.