Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. -- It was an evenly-played field hockey match which had the potential of reaching overtime before Mount Holyoke College suddenly took charge with two goals in just over two minutes soon after halftime on the way to a 3-0 non-conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Tuesday evening at Rick McCarthy Field.
Eastern (5-12) outshot Mount Holyoke (9-8) 5-2 in the first half – nearly scoring by collecting three consecutive shots late in the first half -- before sophomore forwards Kylie Brooks and Kass Lawrence scored just over two minutes apart in the opening minutes of the second half to lift the Lyons to their fourth straight win. Eastern had won two of its last four.
A minute after MHC senior goalie Morgan Turner denied Eastern sophomore midfielder Brianna Nolan's (Watertown) shot from close range after she made a long run into the circle, Brooks broke the scoreless tie with her eighth goal of the year. Brooks buried junior Mirei Golding-Power's cross from the right side from the left post for what proved to be the winning goal. Less than two minutes later Lawrence potted her team-leading 11th goal of the year on a pass from outside the circle from sophomore defender Phoebe Aaronson to make it 2-0. Aaronson also set up sophomore midfielder Margaret Robb's ninth goal of the year with just under four minutes left to close out the scoring.
Mount Holyoke recorded seven of the game's eight penalty corner, three coming when the Lyons outshot Eastern, 5-1, and scored twice in the third quarter.
Turner stopped six shots over 56 minutes for her ninth win in 17 starts. Junior Keira Integlia (Branford) stopped one shot.
Eastern closes out the regular season when it visits Fitchburg State University Saturday in a Little East Conference match. An Eastern win and a Salem State University loss Friday to Bridgewater State University provides the Warriors with an LEC playoff berth.
