The Keene State College Field Hockey team started the season off hot claiming a win in their home opener by a margin of 3-0.
The Owls field hockey team is coming off of an impressive season, finishing second in the Little East Conference, though the team ended up falling short in the conference championship.
Their first game of the new season took place on Friday, Aug. 30, where the Owls continued their success from last year, winning against an out-of-conference team, Springfield College.
The first quarter was quiet in the goal-scoring department as both teams were touching the game field for the first time. Keene State only registered two shots on goal, while they held Springfield to one.
The Owls began the second quarter with a barrage of opportunities, leading to the team’s first goal of the season scored by senior captain Molly Murray. After the initial goal, the Owls began to take control, registering five shots on goal throughout the quarter.
Junior goalkeeper Clara Gorman kept her team anchored, stopping the only shot of the quarter to keep Springfield shut out for the remainder of the half.
Springfield College came out of the second half in a flash, attempting to tie the game immediately. Within the first six minutes, they had a corner opportunity, along with two shots on goal that were both stopped by Gorman.
Keene State was able to stop the rush and quickly put on the offensive pressure resulting in a goal scored by sophomore Grace Seabury to put the Owls up 2-0 early in the second half. The goal was assisted by Murray adding another point to the stat sheet for the captain.
The third quarter ended after some back-and-forth play with a 2-0 Owls lead.
Within the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, Keene State added to their lead with a goal from junior forward Grace Bazin, assisted by Seabury for her second point of the game.
Following the new lead extension, Keene State’s only task was to fend off Springfield’s last efforts to pull the game closer.
The Owls defended four penalty corner attempts and Gorman stayed consistent to stop five shots throughout the whole quarter, leading to the first shutout of the new season.
After a tough battle from both teams, the clock hit zero and the Owls had achieved their first win of the 2024-25 season with a score of 3-0. The Owls also broke a losing streak against Springfield, last winning a matchup nearly a decade ago in 2015.
The Owls will travel on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to play Colby-Sawyer College in another out-of-conference game. The Owl’s Field Hockey team will have a quick turnaround following the game on Wednesday and also play on Saturday, Sept. 7, on the road against Worcester State University.
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
