Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Senior Nikki Garvey (Canaan, N.H./Mascoma Valley Regional) scored the game-tying and game-winning goals to lead the Plymouth State University Panthers to a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference field hockey game Wednesday afternoon at Hannaford Field.
The win is the second straight for the Panthers, improving their overall record to 7-2 and 5-1 in the Little East Conference. Southern Maine falls to 6-7 overall and evens out at 3-3 in the LEC.
Garvey's late game heroics capped second half rally for the Panthers who overcame a three-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes of regulation. In a closely played first half, Southern Maine led PSU 1-0 at the break as senior forward Peyton Dostie (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) scored the first of her three goals in the 30th minute. Dostie redirected a pass from junior Allison Ward (Rockland, Maine/Oceanside) at 29:54.
Dostie continued to carry the Huskies' offense in the second half with a pair of powerfully struck goals. Dostie made it 2-0 in favor of the Huskies in the 38th minute winning the ball in the midfield and carrying down the field before rocketing in a shot from the right side of the circle to beat PSU goalkeeper freshman Alivia Bates (Pennsauken, N.J.) to the far post. The Huskies' senior captain made it 3-0 with her team-leading 11th goal of the season in the 42nd minute as she again won a ball in the midfield and beat two Panther defenders to break free in the circle for wide open attempt on goal.
The score remained 3-0 in USM's favor until the 50th minute when senior Kristen Morris (Stoughton, Mass.) received a centering pass from Garvey and tipped the ball past Husky sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Kasbohm (York, Maine). Two minutes later, the Panthers pulled themselves into within a goal of USM on an unassisted goal from senior Sam Carberry (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock). Carberry drilled a shot to the far post after settling the ball on the left side of the circle for her third goal of the season in the 52nd minute.
Trailing 3-2 with less than six minutes remaining in regulation, the Panthers offense had the advantage on a breakaway before a PSU player was tripped up in the circle earning a penalty shot with 64:28 gone in the game. Garvey connected on the penalty stroke tying the game and setting up the overtime period. In overtime, Garvey wasted little time letting just 52 second expire on the clock before winning the ball in the Panther's defensive third and carrying the ball downfield for the game-winning goal.
Bates earned the win for the Panthers making six saves. Kasbohm took the loss making eight saves for Southern Maine. Both teams were nearly identical statistically with PSU holding a 15-13 edge in shots and a 10-9 advantage in penalty corners.
Southern Maine travels to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) for a Little East Conference match up in its next contest. Plymouth State returns to action on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) at Fitchburg State in a LEC tilt.
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