Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Kayla Renaud converted a penalty corner with 9:41 left that snapped a tie and gave the Keene State College field hockey team a 2-1 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Friday night at the Owl Athletic Complex.
Eastern (7-6, 5-3 LEC) missed out on a chance to clinch a first-round LEC playoff home match for the first time by losing on the Owls' field by a 2-1 score for the second straight time. With its eighth straight win, Keene (12-4, 8-0 LEC) – last year's LEC regular-season and playoff champion -- takes a 1 ½ lead in the conference race. Eastern remains in fourth place in the LEC, a half-game ahead of three teams tied for fifth.
The Warriors fall to 1-4 on the road while Keene improves to 8-1 at home.
After Keene took a 1-0 lead on Casi Smith's penalty stroke with 11:18 left in the first half, the Warriors pulled even less than four minutes later when sophomore Alex Kallgren (Dudley, MA) scored her team-leading tenth goal of the season while stationed to the left of the goal on a sweeping pass from above the circle from senior Laura Chicorka (Enfield).
At left: Mackenzie Brower
Renaud's go-ahead goal was set up on a penalty corner. Brittney Cardente hit the ball in from the left side of the cage, and Marita Brothers teed it up for Renaud, who knocked it under the pad of Eastern junior goalie Samantha Scavo (Redding) for her fifth goal of the season.
Conference scoring leader Sami Smith (16 goals) was held scoreless on seven shots by Eastern's defense, Scavo stopping three of those scoring chances. Kallgren took over second place in the conference in goals with her tenth.
Keene outshot Eastern, 19-6, and held an 11-2 advantage in penalty corners. Scavo stopped five shots, senior Meaghan Dwyer of Keene turning aside four.
Eastern visits Westfield State University Tuesday at 7 p.m.
