With the exception of Keene’s men’s soccer team, this past week saw the end of the fall season for many Owls.
The women’s soccer’s season came to a close Tuesday, November 5, in the Little East Conference quarterfinals against Castleton. Volleyball’s dominating season also came to a close Tuesday night in their own L.E.C. quarterfinals against University of Massachusetts Boston. The Owls field hockey team battled it out until Saturday, November 9, when they fell to Worcester State in the finals of the L.E.C. championships.
However, regardless of how all these teams’ seasons ended, it is important to not forget the streaks, celebrations and memories that happened throughout the 2019 fall sports season.
Women’s soccer won 10 of their nineteen games. One of those wins was an eight goal shutout against Framingham State, which saw sophomore midfielder Amanda “Mandi” Dovas score her first and second career goals. Eight of the 10 wins also took place on Owls home turf.
When it came to the L.E.C. stats leaders for women’s soccer, the Owls showed up more than once. Patricia Norton, senior midfielder, is tied for third with seven assists this season. Shelby Offord, junior goalkeeper, stands in third as well for goals-against with 15. Fellow junior goalkeeper Abbigail Terrinca is right behind Offord in fourth with 18. Terrinca also shows up in the goals-against average standings in fifth with 1.67.
But standings and percentages only scrape the surface of what this season held for the women’s soccer team.
“We had a bunch of crazy games,” explained senior defense and captain Nicole De Almeida. “[We had] lots of come from behind games which were awesome to be a part of, especially senior day. We came [back] from being down and got the winning goal in the last three minutes.”
Senior day had the Owls facing off against the Southern Maine Huskies. At halftime the score was Keene 1, Southern Maine 2. The Owls rallied and ended up taking home the win with a final score of Keene 3, Southern Maine 2.
“Overall, the team showed a lot of heart and fight throughout the season and it was great to be a part of this program for these past four years,” added De Almeida, who will be graduating in May alongside fellow teammates Patricia Norton and Rebecca Freitas.
Another one of Keene’s teams that had a dominating season was volleyball, winning 23 of 32 matches throughout the season. Of those 23 wins, 19 were sweeps with the final score being 3-0. The Owls also took home wins against two regionally ranked teams, W.P.I. and Wentworth, during their season. Keene swept W.P.I. with a 3-0 final score and battled against Wentworth to come out on top with a 3-2 final score.
The Owls also showed up quite a bit in the L.E.C. stats leaders.
Alison McLoughlin, sophomore outside hitter from Florida, sits at second overall in kills with 342, third in kills per set with 3.17, first in points with 408.5 and third in points per set with 3.8. Fellow Floridian and sophomore middle blocker Elizabeth Johnson also appears in the rankings, sitting at third for hitting percentage with .329.
On the defensive standing, Olivia Mathieu, senior libero, sits in first for digs with 659 and first for digs per set with 5.99. Johnson also shows up in fifth for block assists with 50.
“Although we didn’t get back to the L.E.C. championship this year, this season was overall so much fun and ultimately a success,” said Johnson when asked about her season as a whole. “Our team chemistry was really special and I enjoyed coming to practice everyday and am really grateful for all my teammates and coaches. 23-9 is still an amazing record and I have no doubt in my mind that we’ll be back in the L.E.C. championship next year.”
Another team that plans on returning the the L.E.C. finals next year is the Keene State field hockey team, who lost in the L.E.C. finals this year to Worcester State.
Field hockey won 15 of the 23 games they competed in, 10 of which took place on home turf. A few stand-out highlights from the season include junior forward Nina Bruno securing second place in Keene’s record books for overall career points, senior defense Ally McCall scoring off a reverse chip and assistant coach Erin Dallas getting engaged.
From an L.E.C. stats leader stand point, the Owls showed up strong.
Bruno sat in third for points with 50, second in goals with 21 and second in shots with 111. McCall lead the assists leader board with 18. Kelsey Roberts, senior forward, took fourth in the assists category with 11. Kayla Klein, junior forward, sits in fourth for shots with 92.
For goalkeeping, Rachel Loseby, junior goalkeeper, holds the number five spot in goals-against average with 1.72.
But a season is made up of more than just numbers.
“Overall we had a very successful season,” said senior defense and captain Hailey Beaupre. “Although it didn’t end the way we had hoped, there is still so much to be proud of. We worked tirelessly all season and worked so hard to make it to that championship game. We dealt with heartbreaking losses and triumphant wins that each played a crucial role in who we became as a team. We took it day by day. We set goals for ourselves individually and as a team, and we did everything we could to achieve them. Our success story speaks for itself.”
Beaupre will be graduating this May alongside Roberts, McCall, Erica Chareth and Jordan LaRaus.
“I have never been so grateful to be a part of such an inspiring program. We are a family, and I know we always will be even after my class graduates. Once you’re a member of Keene State Field Hockey, you always are. What we have been through as a team is something that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life,” said Beaupre.
Keene’s men’s soccer team will be battling it out Saturday, November 16, against Ithaca College for round one of the NCAA. Start time is at 3:30 p.m. at Dr. Ron Butcher Field.
Claire Boughton can be contacted
at cboughton@kscequinox.com
