NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Laura Dreher and Annie Wimsatt scored two goals apiece and Smith College used a fast start to roll to a 4-0 victory over the Keene State College field hockey team Wednesday night at the Smith Turf Field.

Records

• Keene State:  7-3
• Smith:  4-5

How It Happened
After putting up a half dozen goals in their last outing against the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, seeming to snap out of an offensive slump that saw KSC score only one goal in consecutive games, the Owl offense returned to being quiet in a non-conference loss that saw them get outshot 18-7 including 12-3 in the opening 30 minutes.  Smith was ahead only 6:44 into the game when Coco Cornell found Laura Dreher, and it was 2-0 less than five minutes later when Annie Wimsatt beat Keene State goalkeeper Clara Gorman.  The home team controlled much of the action in the first half, amassing an 8-2 advantage in penalty corners in addition to a lopsided advantage in shots.  Gorman needed to make a pair of saves on Abbey O'Meara in the opening 30 seconds to keep it scoreless, which it did not remain for long.  Pioneers keeper Abby Halpin returned the favor, stopping KSC leading scorers Irini Stefanakos and Grace Bazin within seven seconds of each other in the sixth minute.  From there, it was all Smith for the rest of the half.  Keene State was unable to generate anything from a pair of penalty corners in the final minute of the first quarter that followed a yellow card on Smith's Callahan Day, and eventually fell into a 3-0 hole when Wimsatt scored at the 25:31 mark.  The Pioneers carried that advantage into halftime, with Kyleigh Poot clearing away an effort from Bazin 30 seconds after Smith's third goal to keep KSC off the board.

The Owls had chances after halftime to get back in the game, but Halpin stopped Elizabeth Gonyea less than four minutes into the third quarter and then Molly Murray off a corner 42 seconds later.  Molly Edmark entered in the KSC net after halftime and made a pair of saves midway through the period surrounding a defensive clear off the line by Gonyea to keep it 3-0, but the Owls never could put game pressure on Smith, as Grace Murphy's shot off Stefanakos' corner insert in the 42nd minute was blocked.  Halpin denied Paula Vasiliadis five minutes into the fourth, but that proved to be KSC's final shot, and Smith put the game completely out of reach by getting a second goal from Dreher 68 seconds later.

"We had difficulties adjusting to the quicker pace of tonight's game," said Keene State head coach Amy Watson.  "We had a couple of good offensive chances to get on the board but just could not finish."

Halpin made five saves in the shutout win for Smith.  Gorman made five stops in the first half and Edmark three in the second half in the KSC cage.

Penalty Strokes

• Keene State has lost three straight against the Pioneers after winning 12 of the first 15 matchups.  They have allowed 12 goals in their last three games in Northampton since a 2-1 win there in 2016.
• The Owls had entered the game having shut out three consecutive opponents, defeating the University of New England and Westfield State University 1-0 before drubbing struggling UMass-Dartmouth.

Up Next

• KSC visits the University of Southern Maine (6-5, 0-0 LEC) for a conference game on Saturday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m.
• Smith, which is 0-4 against nationally ranked teams, takes on another this Saturday when they host No. 2 Babson College (9-1, 2-0 NEWMAC) on the same day at noon.