Field Hockey Edged by UMass Dartmouth on Penalty Strokes
North Dartmouth, Mass. - Freshman forward Eleanor Taylor (Fairhaven, Mass.) came off the bench to score the game-winning goal in a penalty stroke shootout and senior goalkeeper Seana Golden (Somerset, Mass.) allowed only two goals in five stroke attempts to lift the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's field hockey team to a 2-1 penalty stroke victory over visiting Framingham State in a Little East Conference match at Cressy Field Sunday. Entering the game, the Rams and the Corsairs were tied atop the conference standing and with the loss the Rams drop into a second place tie with Keene State and Fitchburg State.
The teams entered the shootout tied at 1-1. Junior forward Stephanie Kinchla (Falmouth, Mass.) and freshman forward Erica Allan (Amherst, Mass.) made their initial shots for the Corsairs, as did sophomore defender Kayleigh Force (Leominster, Mass.) and junior defender Andrea DiTerlizzi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) for the Rams. FSC junior goalkeeper Allesha Kenyon (Westford, Mass.) then made a diving save on a shot by UMD sophomore defender Maille Lynch-Gilbert (Petersham, Mass.), and Golden stopped a shot by FSC freshman forward Erica Fisher (Putnam Valley, NY/).
Taylor, who was injured in the Corsairs' previous game and hadn't played, then deposited her shot perfectly in the corner of the net, and Golden followed up by stopping a shot by senior defender Jade Franzen (Mansfield, Mass.). The final shots for each team missed, giving UMD the victory and putting the Corsairs into undisputed possession of first place in the LEC with a week left in the regular season.
Framingham State (12-3, 8-2 LEC) took an early lead when junior forward Kristen Sacco (Mendon, Mass.) fired home a rebound after a penalty corner at the 13:02 mark. The Rams thought they had a 2-0 lead 3:47 later when freshman defender Kelly German (Sandwich, Mass.) appeared to have scored, but the goal was waved off after a violation. When the match was restarted, a long pass downfield was deflected onto the stick of UMD junior forward Natalie Brown (Falmouth, Mass.) and she fed Allan for the tying goal at the 17:05 mark.
Both teams had good chances to score in extra time. In the second overtime, shots by Kinchla and Allan just trickled wide of the net, while Golden came up with a save on a hard shot by Fisher late in the second extra period. The Corsairs were awarded a penalty corner as time expired in the second overtime, but they couldn't get a shot on goal before the play was sent back up field, ending the period.
Each team had 15 shots. Golden made 10 saves for UMD, while Kenyon made eight stops for FSC.
The Corsairs (11-5, 9-1 LEC) will return to action when they host Salve Regina Wednesday evening. The Rams will visit Lasell Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Release courtesy of UMass Dartmouth Sports Information.