Box Score

MANSFIELD, Conn. – The scoring belonged to the offense, but the afternoon belonged to the defense, which worked overtime to ensure that the contest did not extend into it as top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University advanced to the title match of the Little East Conference field hockey tournament with a 2-0 victory over fourth-seeded VTSU Castleton Thursday afternoon/evening at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Eastern (12-8) scored on its first and last shots of the match and the defense withstood a Castleton (8-11) penalty corner blitz of five attempts in a span of four-plus minutes late in the match and a total of ten in the second half to move into the tournament finals for the third time in the past 11 years – first time as the top seed.
 
Eastern will entertain 15-time LEC playoff champion and defending champion Keene State College (14-6) in Saturday's 1 p.m. title game at Rick McCarthy Field, facing the Owls for the third time in as many title game appearances, but first time at home. Second-seeded Keene moved into its 23^rd final in the 27-year history of the championship by rallying for a 3-2 penalty-stroke shootout over third-seeded University of Southern Maine Wednesday night. Playing at home and trailing 2-0, the Owls scored twice in the final 14 minutes, forcing overtime after being awarded a penalty stroke with 13 seconds left. National scoring leader Grace Bazin connected on her 37^th goal of the year for the tying goal.
 
In Wednesday's semifinal against Castleton, Eastern completed a season sweep of the Spartans (the Warriors won, 2-1, three weeks ago at McCarthy Field) gaining a measure of revenge for a pair of blowout LEC playoff losses at the hands of Castleton – most recently in 2023 -- by a combined score of 12-2. Since starting 4-6, Eastern has won eight of its last ten.
 
Senior co-captain Emma Sanson (Thomaston) created the first goal Wednesday when she stole the ball in Eastern's offensive end and after carrying into the circle, found junior forward Sophie Ash (Mystic), who potted her third goal of the season near the right post for her second game-winning goal against Castleton this year (in the regular-season game, she broke a 1-1 tie with seven minutes left).
 
With the Eastern defense bending but not breaking in the fourth quarter, Sanson was able to deliver the knockout blow when she was awarded a penalty stroke after an Eastern shot bounced off the body of a defender in front of the goal. Sanson lifted the ball above the stick of  Castleton senior goalie Zoe Martin with 21.7 seconds left. With the goal, Sanson tied program records for goals in both a season (15) and a career (37). It was her sixth game this year of three or more points.
 
The final penalty-corner differential of -9 (12 allowed, 3 taken) was the second-largest sustained this year by Eastern, which absorbed constant pressure over the final  five-plus minutes before clearing the zone for the last time in the final minute when Sanson carried the ball nearly the length of the left sideline before eventually being awarded the clinching penalty stroke.
 
Leading 1-0 at halftime, Eastern was able to protect the lead despite being assessed a two-minute green card and five-minute yellow card four minutes apart in the third quarter. Playing shorthanded for seven minutes, Eastern's defense thwarted the Spartans despite surrendering five penalty corners and two shots, with senior Hannah Jalowiec (Cheshire) making both of her third-period saves in that span on shots by Castleton sophomore Ava LaRoss and senior Genevieve Pitts, who have combined for 13 goals this year.
 
In posting her first full shutout of the season (second of her career), Jalowiec made four saves and got the full support of her defense, led by starters senior Angelina Falleni (Byram, NJ), junior Katie Harrington (Keene, NH) and sophomore Bree Foucault (Wallingford), along with starting midfielders Betsy Davis (Enfield) and Grace Barlage (Guilford), both juniors, and sophomores Rebecca Minaya (Stafford) and Jenna Boardman (Columbia), who allowed only four of Castleton's eight shots to reach net.
 
In its two previous finals appearances against Keene, Eastern lost as the No. 4 seed in 2015 and won as the No. 3 seed in 2021. Keene has had LEC playoff title winning streaks of six (2013-2018) and five (2004-2008).
 
The Warriors defeated Keene, 4-2, three weeks ago at the Owl Athletic Complex, scoring three times in five-plus minutes in the fourth quarter to snap a 1-1 tie. Bazin scored both of Keene's goal, the second coming with three minutes left and her team trailing by three goals.