MANSFIELD, Conn. – Grace Seabury scored in transition just 1:35 into overtime to provide the Keene State College field hockey team a 1-0 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in Little East Conference action at Rick McCarthy Field Saturday afternoon.

The win keeps the Owls (14-4, 5-1 LEC) in second place in the league, though it did not come easily despite the Warriors (6-9, 1-3 LEC) being held without a shot for the game's final 51 minutes and never landing a shot on target toward KSC goalkeeper Katelyn Nicotera, who notched her first career shutout and improved to 6-2.
The Warriors' Emma Sanson shot wide in the ninth minute and Liz LaMarco did the same two minutes later in the first quarter, and those proved to be the hosts' only shots of the game.

Keene State's offense was bogged down also, as they only recorded five first half shots as the game went into halftime scoreless.  They then had that many attempts in the third quarter alone, but Eastern goalkeeper Kiana Webster made three stops including a pair on Irini Stefanakos within eight seconds of each other at the very end of the period following a penalty corner.  KSC had five corners in the game but came up empty on those chances.

Each team had an unsuccessful shotless corner chance in the fourth, though Webster kept the game scoreless by stopping Meghan Daileanes with 2:31 to go.

The 7-on-7 overtime period did not last long before the Owls emerged with a victory, a play that began with what seemed to be an Eastern opportunity going the other way as Jakhelin Cota carried up the right side.  However, her pass for Kaylee Drobish who likely would have had a one-on-one with Nicotera was tipped away by Stefanakos in a critical defensive play.  She then gathered and passed up the middle to Grace Bazin to set up KSC's rush, with the Owl leading scorer sending Daileanes into space up the left side.  She then found an unmarked Seabury rushing up the right side, who redirected it in past a diving Webster.

"It was a tense defensive matchup today," said KSC head coach Amy Watson.  "We had our share of opportunities in regulation but they played us tough.  Our 7v7 team did a nice job moving the ball up the field to create the breakaway to finish the game."

It was a much-needed victory for the Owls, who fell 6-1 at Vermont State University Castleton on Tuesday night in a game where they could have clinched the LEC's No. 1 seed with a win.  Now, they will await the final two results for the Spartans and Plymouth State University (who will play each other to account for one of their two remaining games) to determine their seeding.  If Castleton beats PSU, the Spartans will clinch the top seed and KSC No. 2.  If Plymouth pulls out a home victory over the Spartans, KSC would be back in play for the No. 1 seed depending on results on the final day of the conference season.

In the meantime, Keene State will take on two out-of-conference opponents, beginning with the home finale against the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (9-6, 6-2 NEWMAC) on Wednesday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m.  KSC is 8-1 at home this season.  The Engineers have won three straight and nine of 13 since an 0-2 start.