KEENE, N.H. -- Karen Robinson
(Phillipston, MA) scored on a corner play with no time remaining in
regulation to give top seed Keene State College a dramatic 3-2
victory over fourth seed Bridgewater State in a semifinal game of
the Little East Conference field hockey tournament in Keene on
Thursday night.
Keene State (17-5), which extended its winning streak to eight
games, will face second seed Southern Maine in Saturday’s
championship game at Owl Athletic Complex at noon. USM edged third
seed Plymouth State 3-2 in overtime in the other semifinal
game.
The Owls were unsuccessful in three prior corner opportunities
before Robinson found the back of the net. Special teams were the
difference in the game with all five goals coming off corner plays.
The two teams trade corner goals midway through the first half. Junior forward Kelly Duchemin (Mashpee, MA) tipped the ball past Owl sophomore goalie Vikki Stoessel (Derry, N.H.) to give BSC a 1-0 lead at the 15:27 mark.
Amy Dolce (Windham, N.H.) tied the game less than two minutes later with a shot from the left side of the net.
KSC took a 2-1 lead on another successful corner play. Erin Dallas (Marlow, N.H.) took a feed from Alyssa Rowell (Queensbury, N.Y.) and one-timed a shot past BSC goalie Nicole Downs (Hanover, MA).
The Bears tied the game at 2-all on a corner play blast from inside the circle by sophomore defender Kelly Downs (Hanover, MA).
Carly Benning (Brewster, MA) had a chance to give KSC the lead when she broke in alone, but Downs came out and smothered her shot at the 27:19 mark of the second half. With sister Nicole Downs (Hanover, MA) out of position, Kelly made a defensive save on a shot by Robinson to keep the game deadlocked with 9:35 to play.
KSC had a several chances to take the lead in the closing minutes. Benning’s drive was stopped by Downs and a shot by Rowell went just wide of the post.
Keeping the ball down at the BSC end of the field, KSC, which was award 17 corners in the game, finally connected with no time remaining on the clock.
Stoessel finished the game with two saves for KSC. Downs stopped
four shots for the Bears (13-6), who were looking for their first
trip to the finals. The defending championship Owls captured
tournament titles in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Release courtesy of the Keene State College Sports Information
department