Keene State Field Hockey fought until the final seconds against Colby-Sawyer on Saturday, but the Chargers held on for a 3-2 victory at their home field. Both teams combined for a five-goal first half, but the Owls were unable to complete the comeback despite controlling much of the second half.
Colby-Sawyer opened the scoring 5:42 into the game. Keene State quickly responded when first-year forward Henley Gilstrap picked up a loose ball near the cage and scored an unassisted goal 4:17 later to tie the game at 1-1.
The Chargers regained the lead in the second quarter, but Keene State answered again just 1:34 later when junior Lilah Carr scored to tie the game at 2-2 and keep Keene State in it.
With just 20 seconds remaining in the first half, Colby-Sawyer regained the lead following a
penalty corner, giving the Chargers a 3-2 advantage heading into halftime.
The second half became much more defensive, with the teams combining for only four shots in the third quarter. Keene State increased its pressure in the final 15 minutes, earning seven of the eight penalty corners and outshooting Colby-Sawyer 9-3 in the fourth quarter.
The Owls had several chances to tie the game, but the opposing goalkeeper made six saves
overall, including two late stops.
Keene State finished with a 15-12 advantage in shots and a 14-7 edge in penalty corners.
Gilstrap’s goal gave her a team-high seven goals through five games, while Carr now has two
goals and two assists on the season.
The Owls return home Saturday, Sept. 19, to face the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth at 2 p.m. at the Owl Athletic Complex.
Lauren Bender can be contacted at
lbender@kscequinox.com.
