Box Score

KEENE, N.H. – Needing a win to make the Little East Conference tournament and after allowing the University of Vermont State Castleton to draw even in the 65th minute, Emily O'Connell saved the Owls' season with her game-winning goal in the 86th minute, giving the Owls the 2-1 victory to clinch a spot in the postseason.

Records

• Keene State: 6-7-4 (3-3-2 LEC)
• Castleton: 3-13-1 (0-7-1 LEC)

How it Happened


KSC's attack was going early as Bryn Dicknson's throw in led to Kaylee Cormier finding the back of the net just 11 minutes into the opening half for the early lead. After Cormier's shot bounced under the Spartan's goalkeeper, Grace Kallio, and into the back of the net, she bounced back and recorded a pair of saves on the next two shots that she faced, coming against Elizabeth Tschudin and another on Cormier over the next 12 minutes. Keely Giordano nearly netted the Owls' second goal of the contest in the 29th minute, but her first shot rang off the crossbar, and her second attempt was blocked by a Castleton defender (despite it being a handball going uncalled in the box on the goal line). The Owls' attack continued to pepper Kallio in goal the rest of the opening half with five more shots the rest of the way, but of the two that were on target, Kallio saved them both as she limited the Owls' lead to one heading into the break.
 
KSC's pressure did not let up in the second half as the Owls recorded three more shots on goal in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but Kallio continued to hold strong by saving them all, doing her part to keep the Spartans in the contest. In the 65th minute, the Spartans finally broke through the Owls' defense, but after a cross was send into the box that Owls' goalkeeper Michaela DiCicco had a hand on but was unable to secure, Penelope Murray put the loose ball into the back of the net to tie the contest up at one apiece. With the other results at the moment of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth leading the University of Massachusetts-Boston 1-0, although the KSC players were unaware, the Owls were on the verge of missing the playoffs if both of the results were to hold the rest of the way. It did not matter for the Owls as they continued to keep on the attack with four shots over the next nine minutes, but none of the Owls' shots were on goal, as the next shot on goal came from the Spartans, but DiCicco made the save to keep the contest at 1-1 in the 75th minute. On the other side of the field, Kallio saved the next shot that she faced, coming from Cormier again, but the Owls' next three shots came from Tschudin, but they all missed the target just barely as the score remained tied with just under seven minutes remaining. Tschudin's fourth shot in a row over three minutes rang off the crossbar and after the Spartans were unable to clear it, Claire Halligan send a close pass to Emily O'Connell, who fired a shot from far outside the Spartans' box off the hands of Kallio and into the back of the net to give the Owls the lead with 4:15 remaining. Castleton did what they could in the end, but Gwen Bridges' late shot for the Spartans missed the target and KSC held on for the 2-1 victory to finish the LEC season with 11 points to sneak in as the No. 6 seed in the LEC tournament.
 
Inside the Box

• KSC improves to 7-7-1 in the all-time series, winning 3 of the past four contests by a combined score of 8-4.
• Cormier reached double digits for points on the season with her goal in the victory, bringing her season total to four goals and a pair of assists.
• O'Connell netted her second goal of the season, coming in cutch with the season-saving goal.
• DiCicco made one save over her 90 minutes in goal, while Kallio made nine saves for the Spartans.
• Just as they have done most of the season, Elise Saab, Bryn Dickinson, and Eleanor Leland anchored KSC's back line, playing a full 90 minutes each again.
• KSC had the edge on shots, 35-4, including 11-2, and on corner kicks, 11-0, all of which were season-highs for KSC.

Up Next


No. 6 Keene State heads down to take on No.3 Western Connecticut State University as the Owls look to avenge their 4-0 loss to the Wolves just a few days ago.