Box Score FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – With half of its schedule still to play, the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team equaled its second-most victories in a season in eight years with a 2-0 Little East Conference victory over homestanding Framingham State University Saturday afternoon at Maple Street Field.
After exceeding its win total of a year ago a week ago against visiting University of Southern Maine, Eastern (5-4, 2-1 Little East) moved over the .500 mark by defeating Framingham (5-3, 0-3 Little East) by shutout for the third time in the last four years.
Sophomore forward Hannah Keiser (Danbury) drove a shot from the top of the circle past Framingham goalie Sarah Palace just 68 seconds into play Saturday, and the Warriors nursed that lead until freshman forward MaryKate Custer (South Windsor) gave freshman goalie Samantha Scavo (Redding) some breathing room with her second career goal five minutes into the second half. Keiser's team-leading seventh goal was set up by senior midfielder Finley Ahearn (Wallingford).
Scavo stopped nine shots – one shy of her season best – to record her third shutout in five starts. In the process, she dropped her goals-against average under 1.00 to 0.92 and elevated her save percentage to .879.
Eastern was last over the .500 mark after nine matches 13 years ago, when it won 11 of 20 matches, qualified for the ECAC tournament, and posted a program-best 7-3 mark in the conference.
Framingham's offense came alive late in the half as the Rams outshot the Warriors 8-1 in the frame, but Scavo came up with six of her saves to keep the hosts off the board.
With just over eight minutes on the clock, senior Brittany Goben blasted a shot from the top of the circle off an insertion on a penalty corner. Goben's shot was saved by Scavo, who then made a sprawling save to deny senior Cassandra Koegel's follow-up.
Eastern maintained its one-goal advantage until the 40th minute when Custer found the back of the cage. Keiser sent a shot on net that Palace was able to kick away, but Custer was right there to gather the loose ball and knock it home.
Needing two goals to pull even, the Rams had one final scoring chance down the stretch as sophomore Cady Kelly carried the ball through the defense and into the circle. Kelly was able to get a good shot off on net, but Scavo came up with her final save to keep Eastern's margin at two.
Eastern hosts Fitchburg State University in a conference match Tuesday at 4 p.m.
