Caroline Perry
Managing Executive Editor
For the sixth consecutive year, the women’s field hockey team has claimed victory, and this time, away from home.
The KSC team tallied their 14th title in program history, making them the six-year running champs of the Little East Conference (LEC).
The Owls traveled to the Dave Walk Stadium in Castleton, Vermont last Saturday. They were able to beat the tournament hosts and top seed team, with a tight score of 2-1. The two goals came from senior Erica Stauffer and senior Julia Babbitt. The Owls ended their season with another title and a 17-6 record.
Although the team was not on their home turf, they were able to dominate offensively, with the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Ally McCall, attacking all game. The KSC defense held the Spartans off, allowing a shot in the final 37:59 of the contest. The Owls focused on creating plays and opportunities from the beginning. Sophomore Nina Bruno took two penalty corners. Babbitt also took one in the first six minutes of the game. McCall launched a shot, but it was blocked. Bruno also took a shot, but it went wide.
Despite some early blocks, the Owls made it happen and got on the board first. Bruno fired in a corner, to which Stauffer tipped in after receiving it from McCall, leading to a 1-0 lead at the 14:20 mark. However, Castleton didn’t wait long before scoring off a corner of their own. In the 20th minute, Allison Lowell and Gabrielle Ryan (both from Castleton) worked together to even the score. This was Castleton’s first shot attempt of the game.
The Owls didn’t back down and generated four shots in the six minutes after Castleton’s tying goal. But the only one on target was saved by Castleton goalie, Tashia Pashby-Rockwood. Megan Ryan from Castleton took one last shot in the 31st minute, but sophomore Rachel Loseby shut her down. The teams went to the locker room for half time, with the score tied 1-1.
After coming together in the locker room, the second half was all Owls. Castleton goalie Pashby-Rockwood stopped Bruno twice in in the 41st minute. Four other chances from the Owls were either off mark or blocked. Babbitt amped up the pressure with another corner in the 50th minute of the game, which resulted in a wide shot. Another corner ended up in McCall’s shot being blocked.
The score remained tied until the 54th minute of the game, when Babbitt forced a turnover and beat Pashby-Rockwood one-on-one for a 2-1 lead. That proved to be the game winner, as the Owls stifled Castleton over the remainder of the contest, not allowing them another shot, which included when the Spartans played the final 2:34 with the goalie pulled.
Caroline Perry can be contacted at
cperry@kscequinox.com
