Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team responded from a scoreless first half by scoring three goals in a span of 13 minutes and went on to a 3-0 Little East Conference victory over Framingham State University Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
With its fourth straight win over Framingham State (0-6, 0-3, LEC) – all by shutout – Eastern (4-3, 2-1 LEC) maintains a share of fourth place in the conference behind unbeaten leaders UMass Dartmouth, Plymouth State University and Keene State College.
All 22 field players saw action for Eastern, which couldn't capitalize in the first half despite recording nine penalty corners. In the second half, seniors Laura Chicorka (Enfield) and Brianna Passero (Trumbull) and junior Paige Schneider (East Lyme) scored goals 13 minutes apart, Passero and Schneider being set up by senior forward Hannah Keiser (Danbury). The goals was the second of the season for each of the three.
Eastern outshot Framingham, 14-2, with junior goalie Samantha Scavo (Redding) making her only save of the match with 13:34 left in the first half to record her second shutout in five starts this year, 11th in 37 career starts, and lower her goals-against average under 1.00 to 0.95. Framnigham senior goalie Rosemary Talbot (Whitinsville, MA) denied four Eastern shots.
For the first goal in the opening three minutes of the second half, Chicorka carried over midfield before being fouled. She quickly took the re-start herself and drove just inside the top of the circle before unloading a hard shot that beat Talbot. Passero, who had scored her first career goal a week ago in an LEC home win over the University of Southern Maine, made it 2-0 nine minutes later when she got a touch at the left post with Talbot out of position on Keiser's drive from the top of the circle. Schneider put the game out of reach four minutes later, redirecting Keiser's blast at the left post to make it 3-0 with just under 19 minutes left.
With two assists, Keiser takes over sole possession of third place all-time, with 14 assists, seven behind all-time leader Mo Deegan.
In addition to its three goals, Eastern also had two additional scoring strikes disallowed.
Eastern finished with a decisive 18-2 advantage in penalty corners.
Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a conference match at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
