Eastern Blanks Field Hockey, 6-0
Mansfield, Conn. - Senior forward Alex Kallgren (Dudley, MA) broke the Eastern Connecticut State University career points record with a late first-half goal and sophomore forward Khiara Valentine (Morristown, NJ) recorded the tenth hat trick in program history as the Warriors downed Framingham State University, 6-0, in a Little East Conference field hockey match Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
Kallgren had tied the career point record of 79 with a pair of assists in the first half, then broke E-Club Hall of Famer Mo Deegan's 13-year-old record with her third goal of the season off of a pass from first-year senior forward Katie Calnen (Granby) – her first career point -- with 3:45 left in the half.
Kallgren had entered the season tied with Deegan for the all-time goal lead with 29, and made that record her own in the season-opener at Springfield College Sept. 2. Kallgren's two assists Saturday moved her into third place all-time, with 17, four behind Deegan. She has 32 goals and 17 assists for 81 points in her 62-game career.
Valentine, moved from defender to forward this year, struck for three of Eastern's final four goals. Kallgren set her up 11 minutes into the game to make it 3-0, and after Kallgren scored the record-breaking goal late in the first half, Valentine stuck in two in a span less than three minutes early in the second half.
Eastern, which had gone 216 minutes over five games without a goal, jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first 11 minutes when senior forward Tia LaFrance Boyce (Pawcatuck) gave Eastern an early boost by scoring twice in a span of six minutes, and Valentine's first of three pushed the lead to 3-0.
Valentine recorded the first hat trick since Kallgren collected three against Westfield State University three years ago.
The six-goal differential is the widest in this 18-game series for Eastern (2-5, 2-3 LEC) against Framingham (1-6, 0-5 LEC). Eastern had scored only six goals through its first six matches this year and snapped a run of three straight 1-0 loss with its sixth straight shutout of Framingham.
Framingham, which dropped its sixth straight, had its best chance to score kicked out on a defensive save by freshman back Lydia Hindle (Norwich) 15 minutes into play.
Eastern outshot the Rams, 28-5 and amassed a 12-4 advantage in penalty corners.
Eastern senior goalie Maddie LaRusso (Enfield) made two saves to register in her first career shutout in her 11th start. Framingham's Haley Duggan (Framingham, MA) made five saves.
Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference match Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Rams travel to Bridgewater State on the same day.
*Release courtsey of ECSU sports info