KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Southern Connecticut State Field Hockey fell to Mansfield University in their first game of the Kutztown tournament 6-3. With the loss, the Owls fall to 0-1, while the Mountaineers start their season 1-0.  

The Owls received goals from Isabella Sharp-Senior, Kaiya Mercier and Avery Vaccaro, but Mansfield secured the win due to four unanswered goals over a 14-minute span. Lyndsay Troisi started in goal and made one save while allowing four goals in 45 minutes. Rachel Miller played the final 15 minutes and allowed two goals. Mansfield goalkeeper Lydia Miller made five saves on eight shots to earn the win. 

Mansfield struck early off a penalty corner. Alyssa Czekai opened the scoring with 4:17 gone in the first quarter, converting off a rebound after Lyndsay Troisi made the initial save. Kylee Boardman doubled the Mountaineers' lead at 15:35 of the second. Southern began to find its rhythm late in the second quarter. Mercier set up Sharp-Senior at 25:02 to cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime. The Owls outshot Mansfield 3-1 in the second quarter after being held to one shot in the first. Southern carried that momentum into the third. Keana Criscuolo found Mercier on a quick transition at 36:34 to tie the game at 2-2. It was Mercier's first goal of the season to go with an assist, and Criscuolo's first point of the 2026 season.  

The tie was short-lived. Mansfield regained the lead at 40:38 when Amanda Ray finished off a feed from Czekai off a corner, and Czekai made it 4-3 less than two minutes later with her second goal of the game at 42:11. The Mountaineers extended their lead in the fourth. Ray scored her second of the afternoon at 52:28 off an assist from Jenna Duke, and Korimae Reisinger added an insurance goal at 54:53 off a feed from Kaylie Ranere to make it 6-2. 

Vaccaro gave Southern a final push, scoring as time expired at the 60:00 mark off a corner from Lindsey Onofrio. It was Vaccaro's first career goal. 

Southern Connecticut State will look to bounce back quickly when it continues play at the Kutztown Tournament against host Kutztown on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Andre Reed Stadium.