MANSFIELD, Conn. – Junior forward Taylor Conley scored four goals in less than 14 minutes to single-handedly wipe out an early Eastern Connecticut State University lead and power Springfield College to a 6-1 non-conference field hockey victory in the 2018 opener for both teams Saturday morning at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

Conley, who managed five goals in 18 matches a year ago for a 13-8 team, scored just under two minutes apart early in the second half to tie the match and then give the Pride the lead for good after an early Eastern first-half goal from junior forward Khiara Valentine (Morristown, NJ) had stood up through the first half and into the first four minutes of the second half. 

Conley connected twice on assists from senior midfielder Amanda Nusbaum to tie the match, then added another pair in a span of five minutes soon after to lift Springfield into a 4-1 lead with 17 minutes left.

Conley collected nine of her team's 30 shots – sending seven of them on cage – and her defense limited the Warriors to two shots, both in the first period.

Valentine had gotten Eastern on the board in the tenth minute with the first goal of 2018.  The scoring play was initiated on a re-start taken by senior midfielder Erin Sheehan (North Branford) in the Eastern end. First-year junior forward Morgan Sanson (Thomaston) took the ball away from a Springfield player at the NCAA logo, carried briefly, and sent a sweeping left-handed pass down the middle of the field. Valentine broke on the pass, beat two Springfield defenders to the ball and after a few touches, slid the ball past Springfield senior goalie Emmalie Drake from point-blank range just inside the left-hand post. 

Two Eastern keepers made their collegiate debuts, with first-year sophomore Keira Integlia (Branford) turning aside 11 shots and allowing only three goals before freshman Abby Harris (Windham, NH) closed it out with seven saves over the final 17-plus minutes.

Nusbaum finished with a goal and three assists.

In all, more than half of Eastern's starters were starting their first collegiate games: Integlia, Sanson, sophomore forward Julia Koonjy (Jefferson, NJ), sophomore defender Heather Sholtes (Bethel), freshman midfielder Bryce Makula (Guilford), freshman sweeper Katelyn Miller (Wallingford).

Eastern hosts Wesleyan University in a non-conference match Wednesday at 6 p.m