GORHAM, Maine – Junior
Sage Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagles) scored the game-winning goal with less than 30 seconds in regulation to deliver a 5-4 win to the University of Southern Maine Huskies over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference field hockey game Saturday afternoon at Hannaford Field.
Drinkwater redirected a driven pass into the circle from senior
Mary Keef (Westbrook, Maine) for the decisive goal as the Huskies' rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the final 10 minutes of a back-and-forth contest with the Owls.
Southern Maine is 1-0 to start its Little East Conference season, while the Owls are 1-1.
The Records:
Keene State (7-4, 1-1 Little East)
Southern Maine (7-5, 1-0 Little East)
Today's game marked the 46
th game between Keene State College and the University of Southern Maine. Keene State leads the overall series 32-14. Southern Maine is 4-2 against the Owls in the last six games and went 1-1 against KSC in 2022, including a 3-2 win over the Owls in the Little East Conference semifinals.
How It Happened:
- Ahead 2-0 after goals from freshman Norie Tibbets (Skowhegan, Maine) and Drinkwater in the 11th and 16th minute respectively, the Huskies found themselves in a 2-2 game headed into the half as the Owls rallied to score two goals in the final 36 seconds of the second quarter.
- Kalina Piasecki scored her fourth goal fo the season with 29:24 on the clock to half the Owls' deficit, before Grace Seabury found the back of the next as time expired for the 2-2 game. Seabury's third goal of the season was the product of Keene State's 11th penalty corner of the first half.
- Southern Maine struck first in the second half as Drinkwater rocketed in a shot off of a penalty corner in the 31st minute. Keef inserted the ball, and senior Jordan Cummings (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) used a low stick to stop the ball to allow Drinkwater a direct drive for a 3-2 USM lead.
- Keene State answered back quickly as Irini Stefanakos struck to the near post in the 33rd minute off of a feed from Molly Murray. Southern Maine had a chance to go up 4-3 in the 37th after being awarded a penalty stroke, but Molly Edmark, who subbed on for the stroke, stopped the Huskies' attempt to the right side.
- Southern Maine dominated the opening minutes of the fourth, earning three penalty quarters and putting two shots on net, but the Owls converted on a fast break, following a well-cleared corner attempt from Southern Maine to go head 4-3 in the 51st. Stefanakos set up the play, winning the loose ball and carrying down the field before dishing it off to Grace Bazin on the right side for the goal.
- In the 56th minute, Husky senior Brooke Carson (Bryant Pond, Maine/Oxford Hills) scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season to bring Southern Maine level. Carson jumped on top of a loose ball following a saved shot from Drinkwater.
- The Huskies continued to pressure in the final minutes earning three penalty corners, including the final one of the game with 59:29 on the clock. Senior Hannah Banks (Belfast, Maine) inserted the ball to Keef on her left, and Keef send in a low ball in front of the cage that Drinkwater redirected for the win.
The Goalkeepers:
KSC, Clara Gorman, 36:41, 3 GA, 2 Saves; Molly Edmark (1-1), 23:19, 2 GA, 7 Saves
SM,
Eleanor Folsom (7-5), 60:00, 4 GA, 9 Saves
Inside The Statistics:
- Both teams were even with 17 shots a piece. Southern Maine had a slim 14-13 lead in shots on goal.
- Both the Huskies and the Owls made nine saves. USM's Eleanor Folsom (Winthrop, Maine) mad eight saves in the first half, while Edmark made seven second half saves.
- Keene had a 15-11 advantage in penalty corners. The Owls had 12 first half penalty corners, while the Huskies had 10 of their 11 in the second half.
Up Next:
The Huskies are back on the road in non-conference action on Wednesday, October 4 (7:00 pm) at Westfield State. Southern Maine returns home and back to LEC action on Saturday, October 7 (12:00 pm) against Eastern Connecticut State University.
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