SPARKILL, N.Y. — Keana Criscuolo recorded a hat trick and Southern Connecticut State University field hockey extended its winning streak to three games with a 5-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, N.Y..
Criscuolo scored in each of the first three quarters to lead the Owls (3-2), who have won three straight after an 0-2 start. Kaiya Mercier and Ruby Webb also scored, and goalkeeper Lyndsay Troisi made two saves for her second shutout of the season.
Southern outshot St. Thomas Aquinas 40-2 and held a 29-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Owls earned 18 penalty corners to one for the Spartans (0-4).
Criscuolo opened the scoring just 3:33 into the first quarter, finishing a feed from Webb for her first goal of the afternoon. It was Southern's only shot on goal in a quarter that saw the Owls take six shots.
The Owls broke the game open in the second quarter with 17 shots. Criscuolo made it 2-0 at the 23:10 mark with an unassisted goal, her second of the game. Less than two minutes later, Mercier pushed the lead to 3-0. Mercier's goal at 24:57 came off a rebound. Isabella Sharp-Senior was credited with the assist after her initial shot was saved by Spartans goalkeeper Evelyn McEwen. The goal was Mercier's fourth of the season.
Southern continued to press in the third. Criscuolo completed the hat trick at 35:28, scoring unassisted on Southern's fourth shot on goal of the quarter. The senior forward finished with 10 shots, eight on goal, and three goals. She now leads the Owls with seven goals on the season.
Webb capped the scoring with 2:38 remaining in regulation. The senior forward, who assisted on the opening goal, scored on a corner with help from Sofia Frassinelli at 57:22 for her third goal of the year.
Southern dominated possession and territory throughout, holding St. Thomas Aquinas without a shot in the first and third quarters. The Owls generated 10 penalty corners in the fourth quarter alone as they kept the Spartans pinned in their defensive end.
Lindsey Onofrio led all players with 12 shots, nine on goal, while Webb added seven shots and five on goal. In total, nine different Owls recorded a shot on goal.
Troisi improved to 3-2 in net. The junior played all 60 minutes and made one save in the second quarter on a shot by Bo Van Rheenen and another in the fourth on Gianna Sacco.
Southern will look to extend its winning streak to four games when it travels to Manchester, N.H. on Saturday, Sept. 19 to face Southern New Hampshire to open Northeast 10 Conference play.Â
