KEENE, N.H. – Eastern Connecticut State University scored three goals in less than six minutes early in the fourth quarter to break a 1-1 deadlock and went on to spoil Senior Day for the Keene State College field hockey team, posting just their third victory all-time at the Owl Athletic Complex with a 4-2 win on Saturday afternoon.
It is a bitter loss for the Owls (11-5, 3-1 LEC), who lost control of their own destiny for first place in the Little East Conference in the tight league standings with still games remaining against the University of Southern Maine (2-1 and in third place) and Vermont State University Castleton (1-2 but the defending regular season champion). Eastern Connecticut meanwhile, only 8-7 overall, now has a clear path toward finishing with the top seed – with home games against sixth-place Western Connecticut State University and last-place University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth with a road game at Plymouth State University (5-7, 1-1 LEC) sandwiched between.
Since starting the season 6-0, KSC is now just 5-5 in their last 10 games including 1-3 in their last four home games. The Owls have just one game remaining on their home turf – another important one when they take on Castleton on October 28 at 6:30 p.m. – and only three to go in the regular season as they look to defend their LEC tournament championship from a season ago.
The fourth quarter today was a stunning turn of events, as after recording only 11 shots over the opening three quarters, the Warriors fired seven alone in the final 15 minutes and scored on three of their first five attempts – two after penalty corners. Emma Sanson scored her tenth goal of the season just 49 seconds into the final period to put the Warriors ahead by one for the second time.
Jenna Boardman added another just 1:21 later off the first corner chance to make it 3-1 and then fed Ada Ellis with nine minutes to go as the Warriors suddenly went up three goals with tallies from a pair of players who had just one goal on the season entering the day.
After a failed corner opportunity and a pair of stops by ECSU goalkeeper Hannah Jalowiec,
Grace Bazin fired home a rebound goal with a little over three minutes to go – her 32nd of the season – but the Owls could get no closer, losing to the Warriors on their home field for the first time since the 2021 LEC championship (1-0). Overall, KSC is 5-5 against Eastern in the last 10 head-to-head meetings after winning 21 of the first 22. The Owls – a routine LEC championship host – have not had the title game on their home field since that 2021 defeat.
Bazin, who tied the game with seven minutes left in a first half that saw KSC outshot 10-7, now has 32 of the team's 61 goals this season (52 percent) and 70 of their 152 points (46 percent) as she moves closer to the single-season and career goal records.
Three of Eastern Connecticut's goals in the game came from players who entered with one goal on the season. They entered having scored one goal or less as a team in six of 14 games in 2025.
ECSU had an 18-14 edge in shots, 13-7 on goal, and an 8-5 lead in corners.
Keene State will take on Roger Williams University (11-5, 5-1 CNE) on the road in Rhode Island on Thursday (October 23) at 4:00 p.m. in a non-conference matchup – the first-ever between the two programs. The Hawks fell at eighth-ranked Endicott College 2-1 on Saturday but have had an impressive season, playing tight games against highly-regarded programs. They are ranked No. 37 in the most recent NCAA Power Index (NPI). KSC was No. 41 in those rankings and No. 47 this week, but figures to slip down. Eastern Connecticut was No. 99 on that same list, which is used to determine the NCAA tournament field and seeding for all NCAA Division III team spots (began last academic year).
