MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern Connecticut State University field hockey battled back to force overtime against Southern New Hampshire but fell 2-1 to the Penmen in the 65th minute of play. The result moves Southern to 3-3 on the season.
SNHU opened the scoring late in the first quarter. After earning three penalty corners in the opening 14 minutes and testing junior goalkeeper Lyndsay Troisi (Watertown, Conn.) twice, the Penmen broke through at 13:57 when Zoe Demers found the back of the cage for her first of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Troisi kept the Owls within striking distance. She finished with six saves in 70 minutes, including three in the first quarter and a key stop on Kim Dull early. The Owls defense also got help from forward Kyla Hart-Perron (Vernon, Conn.), who recorded a defensive save on Natalie Paradzick at the end of the third to keep it level at 1-1 after Southern had equalized.
Southern found its rhythm after halftime. After being held without a shot in the opening quarter, the Owls out-shot SNHU 5-3 in the third and generated four penalty corners. The pressure built with a shot off the post from Kaiya Mercier (Enfield, Conn.) at 33:00 and attempts from Sofia Frassinelli (Montville, N.J.) and Keana Criscuolo (North Haven, Conn.).
The pressure paid off. At 40:58, on Southern's fourth corner of the quarter, midfielder Avery Vaccaro (Pittsford, N.Y.) slipped a perfect assist to Ruby Webb (Auckland, New Zealand) at the top of the circle. Webb buried it for her team-leading third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. It was Webb's second shot on goal of the afternoon.
Southern carried momentum into the fourth. Despite facing four SNHU corners and five shots in the quarter, Troisi made a save on Paradzick and the Owls defense blocked two more attempts. On the other end, Webb earned two more corners at 56:45 and 57:29 that forced SNHU goalkeeper Agustina Miranda Waigand into action. Waigand finished with four saves. Green cards were issued to Mercier at 52:58 and SNHU's Sophie Bilodeau at 62:23.
In overtime, the Owls had the first look. Criscuolo, who led Southern with three shots on goal, forced a save just 50 seconds into extra time. A man-up opportunity followed the Bilodeau card, but the Penmen countered. At 65:03, Julia Giampietro fired on goal, Troisi made her sixth save of the day, but Demers was there on the rebound to score the game-winner, her second of the afternoon.
Southern returns home on Wednesday, Sept. 23 to take on Pace at 5:30 p.m. at Jess Dow Field.
