MANSFIELD, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State field hockey (8-8, 3-3 Little East) used a balanced offensive attack to take down UMass Boston (0-16, 0-6 Little East), 6-0, at Rick McCarthy Field on Tuesday (Oct. 27), to close out the regular season home schedule.
Three Warriors scored in the game with
Mackenzie Ray scoring a hat trick.
Ada Ellis added two goals and
Sophie Ash added a goal.
Eastern dominated the game, outshooting UMass Boston 29-3 and 17-2 in shots on goal. The Warriors goalies of
Kate Paradise and
Veronica McKenna combined for the fourth shutout of the year for Eastern. McKenna made both of Eastern's saves in the game.
The Warriors struck first just five minutes into the game.
Jenna Boardman brought the ball into the circle and centered it in front of UMass Boston's goal. Ellis deflected the ball into the net to make it 1-0. It was the fourth goal of the season for Ellis.
Six minutes later, the Warriors doubled their lead.
Grace Barlage dribbled the ball through the Beacons' defense and centered the pass to Ash who put it into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
Eastern earned a penalty corner a minute into the second quarter. The ball was swung around the circle and the first shot was deflected by a UMass Boston stick.
Audrey Molin retrieved the ball and sent it back toward the goal where it found the stick of Ray to push the lead to 3-0.
The Warriors took advantage of another penalty corner five minutes into the second. Ellis had the ball on the edge of the circle and passed it to
Katie Harrington on the endline. Harrington centered it to Ray who deflected it in for her second of the game.
Ellis scored her second goal of the game at the 25-minute mark in the first half. With a scramble in front of the net, UMass Boston's goalie tried to kick the ball clear but Ellis stopped the ball and fired it back into the net, making it 5-0.
Ray picked up the hat trick with a goal halfway through the third quarter. A breakout pass found Molin, who dribbled through the defense and fired a shot on net. UMB's goalie made the save but Ray was there to put home the rebound.
The win moved Eastern one step closer to clinching a spot in the Little East Conference Field Hockey Tournament.
UP NEXT
Eastern will close out the regular season on the road at UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (Oct. 31).
