MANSFIELD, Conn. – A short-handed Keene State College field hockey team showed its resiliency by twice erasing one-goal deficits, but Eastern Connecticut State University ultimately had the final say when junior Brianna Nolan (Watertown) scored 4:46 into sudden death overtime in the opening spring games of the year for both squads Friday in a Little East Conference contest at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Limited to only three substitutes on an original roster of 22, Keene twice scored the tying goals in the fourth quarter, propelling the match into overtime when sophomore Chase Lambert scored her second goal with just over three minutes left in regulation.
 

In overtime, Nolan scored her scored her second goal of the match when she batted the ball past Keene freshman goalie Molly Edmark, who had saved a shot by Eastern junior Sydney Collentine (New Fairfield), but could not prevent the shot from caroming in the air to Nolan stationed alone to the left of the cage.
 
Since losing 21 of the first 22 matches in the series, Eastern has captured two of the last four, both by a goal. The Owls have claimed the LEC playoff title 12 times in the last 16 years.
 
Nolan recorded the first multi-goal and multi-point matches of her three-year career. Her drive into the circle set up senior Julia Koonjy's (Jefferson, NJ) second career goal that gave Eastern a quick lead less than nine minutes into play, and she followed with the go-ahead goal with 6:35 left in regulation and the game-winner 4:46 into overtime.
 
Eastern controlled the majority of play throughout the match and carried its precarious 1-0 lead into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before the teams combined for three scores in just seven minutes, Lambert's second goal off a long drive from senior defender Jordyn Martin (Wantage, NJ) and tied the match for the second time.
 
Eastern senior Keira Integlia (Branford) kicked out nine shots to record her first career win over Keene. Four of her saves came in the second quarter – two coming in succession on drives by senior Nina Bruno in the final two minutes of the half -- that allowed her team to preserve a 1-0 lead heading into the half. Integlia also robbed Bruno of a certain game-tying goal midway through the third quarter when she was able to smother a shot headed toward the five-hole.
 
Freshmen Victoria Watson and Edmark split time in their career debuts in the Keene net. Watson made three first-half saves and left on the short end of a 1-0 lead at the break. Edmark stopped five shots in the second half overtime. Her overtime save deflected to Nolan, who knocked in the game-winner.
 
In her first career start, junior Corey Callahan (South Windsor) was credited with four of Eastern's 14 shots, putting three on net. Nolan landed all three of her shots on goal, while Koonjy also collected three shots, sending to cage. Lambert recorded seven of her team's 16 shots, forcing Integlia to turn away five of them.
 
Eastern's starting defense included freshman Arianna Ricciardi (Wallingford) making her collegiate debut, and sophomore Alyson Sanford (Waterford), inserted into the starting lineup for the first time, and returning sophomore starter Grace Mangiameli (Suffield).
 
After the Owls totaled  a +6 advantage in penalty corners through three quarters, Eastern had six of the final seven in the match, including all five in the fourth quarter.
 
 Eastern hosts Plymouth State University Wednesday at 4 p.m. in an LEC contest.