Box Score DANBURY, Conn. Junior Peyton Dostie (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) scored three goals and added an assist to propel the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 5-2 win over the Western Connecticut State University Colonials in a Little East Conference field hockey game Saturday afternoon.
The win is the third straight for Southern Maine improving its record to 8-10 overall and 5-5 in the conference. The Huskies third conference win in as many tries likely secures them a spot in the 2013 Little East Conference Field Hockey Championship tournament. Western Connecticut falls to 4-12 overall and 1-9 in the LEC.
Dostie started the scoring off for the Huskies in the 12th minutes finishing an assist from senior Rebecca Pratt (Cornville, Maine/Skowhegan). Senior Natalie Harkins (Windham, Maine) made the lead 2-0 in favor of USM in the 14th minute following a pass from sophomore Jessica Boghasian (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonskee), before Dostie quickly followed with her second goal of the game in the 15th minute with Harkins getting the credit for the assist.
Trailing 3-0 after the first 20 minutes of the game, the Colonials responded as senior Kim Gigante (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) notched her sixth goal of the season on a double assist from sophomores Lauren Allen (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield-Wade) and Jenny Cappello (Litchfield, Conn.) in the 17th minute. Dostie pushed the USM advantage back to three goals snagging the hat trick with her team-leading 21st goal of the season minutes later for a 4-1 Husky lead. Wasting little time, Cappello found the back of the net for the Colonials for her first goal of the season in the 22nd minute.
With both teams combining to score six goals in the opening half, the score stood at 4-2 in favor of USM. Southern Maine had 13 shots in the first half, compared to 11 for the Colonials.
In the second half, scoring cooled, despite the Huskies and Colonials working their way to a total of 31 second-half shots. Harkins scored the lone goal of the second half for her eight goal of the season in the 43rd minute on an assist by Dostie for the 5-2 USM final.
USM freshman goalkeeper Amanda Kasbohm (York, Maine) made 10 saves to earn the win. Colonial senior Courtney Hearn (New Fairfield, Conn.) started the game making a save and allowing two goals in 13:29 of action, before being lifted in favor of freshman Kristy Trotta (Danbury, Conn.). Trotta made 14 saves and allowed three goals in 56:31 of work.
Southern Maine travels to New England College for a non-conference game on Tuesday (4:00 p.m.). Western Connecticut hosts William Patterson on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) in a non-conference game.
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