Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Senior Amanda Kasbohm (York, Maine) made six saves and senior Kyrstyn Keating (Freedom, Maine/Mount View) and junior Tayla Smedberg (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) each scored a goal as the University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a 2-1 win over the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in a Little East Conference field hockey game Saturday afternoon at Hannaford Field.
The win is the second straight for Southern Maine, which improves to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the Little East. The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Warriors who stand at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Eastern Connecticut outshot the Huskies 12-5 in the game and 5-1 in the first half, but USM's Kasbohm was up to the task in net making three outstanding saves early in the game. Despite registering just one shot in the opening half, Southern Maine took a 1-0 lead into the break as Keating notched her second goal of the season in the 30th minute. Smedberg played the ball sharply into the circle and sophomore Kerigan Demers (Westbrook, Maine) deflected the ball towards Keating. Keating was then able to redirect the ball past Eastern Connecticut goalkeeper Samantha Scavo (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow).
In the second half, Smedberg doubled the Huskies advantage in the 44th minute notching her first goal of the season off of an assist from senior Michaela Demers (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Memorial). Demers sent the ball into the circle and Smedberg was able to get her stick to the ball to tip in the goal.
Trailing 2-0, Eastern Connecticut was able to trim its deficit to one goal in the 51st minute on Brianna Passero's (Trumbull, Conn.) team-leading third goal of the season. Passero was able to score in traffic redirecting a pass from sophomore Erin Sheehan (North Branford, Conn.). The Warriors continued to pressure the Huskies but were unable to come away with the equalizer. Junior Alex Kallgren (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional) had a pair of solid attempts in the final 10 minutes, including an attempt in the 63rd minute after an outstanding hustle play to get to the ball that sailed high of the goal. The Warriors also had a penalty corner awarded to them as time expired but they were unable to convert and the game was ruled final.
Southern Maine is back in action tomorrow for a non-conference game against Manhattanville (12:00 p.m.). Eastern Connecticut returns to action at home on Wednesday (4:30 p.m.) against non-conference opponent Wesleyan (Conn.).
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