Box Score  

MANSFIELD, Conn. – A victory Saturday for the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team would have all but clinched a berth in the Little East Conference playoffs.
 
So, with so much riding on the outcome, why did the Warriors' 1-0 overtime loss to Keene State College feel like a win?
 
Against the 14-time Little East playoff champions, Eastern (6-8, 1-3 LEC) more than held its own (although the final numbers might say otherwise). Although it was outshot, 13-2, Eastern allowed only five penalty corners and was within striking distance of taking Keene (14-4, 5-1 LEC) to a shootout before sophomore Grace Seabury helped the Owls avoid a third overtime loss at the hands of Eastern in the last five years by scoring on a crossing pass from sophomore Meghan Daileanes 95 seconds into 6v6 sudden-death overtime.
 
On the only scoring play of the afternoon, Daileanes won the ball on the left flank and carried with speed toward the end line before sending a pass to Seabury who found room behind the Eastern defense. Seabury beat Eastern senior goalie Kiana Webster (Raymond, ME) – who was primarily responsible for keeping the match scoreless by making four saves in the second half – from in close at the right post.
 
Turning in one of its finest defensive performances of the season, the Eastern defense of senior starters Aly Kendrick (North Branford), Emma Stearns (Medway, MA) and Morgan Anjos (Westfield, MA) and junior Angelina Falleni (Byram, NJ) – among many others -- kept Keene's high-powered (4+ average goals per match) in check most of the afternoon.
 
For her part, Kendrick, a first-year All-LEC player in 2021, blanketed LEC scoring leader Grace Bazin on just two shots, neither of which reached Webster. Bazin is ranked in a tie for third nationally with 24 goals.
 
While Eastern's defense did a formidable job limiting Keene, the Owls had several prime scoring opportunities before finally submitting their game-winner. Twice, Keene hit the post: Daileanes with four minutes left in the first quarter and senior Irini Stefanakos with ten minutes left in regulation.
 
In a scoreless game, Webster made no less than three saves in the final three minutes of the third quarter, stoning senior Hannah Wood on her bid off a penalty corner, Stefanakos after she split three defenders on a feed from Bazin, and Stefanakos again on a shot which beat the third-quarter buzzer.
 
Following the match, Eastern honored its seven outgoing players: Webster, Kendrick, Stearns, Anjos, Jakhelin Cota (Norwalk), Liz LaMarco (West Hartford), and Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford).
 
The Warriors close out the regular season visiting Western Connecticut (6-11, 1-3 LEC) Wednesday at 6 p.m. and hosting Plymouth State University (9-6, 3-1 LEC) Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. in its regular-season home finale. Unofficially, an Eastern win over WestConn and a UMass Dartmouth loss at unbeaten LEC leader VTSU Castleton (13-4, 4-0 LEC) would guarantee Eastern of an LEC playoff berth.