Pride stop Panthers' six-game winning streak

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman Amy Dean scored on a textbook penalty corner with 2:40 remaining Wednesday afternoon as Springfield College came from behind to defeat Plymouth State University, 2-1, in a non-conference field hockey game at Arold Field.

            The Pride scored twice in the last 13 minutes of the game to pull out the victory and improve to 7-5 overall.  PSU got a nice goal on a corner in the first half from senior Kristina Conroy (Wakefield, Mass.) but saw its six-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 8-4.

            The first half featured a lot of back and forth play in the midfield but very few good scoring opportunities for either team.  PSU finally broke through with 11:20 to play in the half as freshman Jackie Morin (Scarborough, Maine) slid a pass across the top of the circle, where sophomore Olivia Colborn (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountain Regional) fired a shot toward the cage and Conroy redirected it into the goal.  It was Conroy's seventh of the season and stood as the only goal of the first 35 minutes.

            The second half was much of the same, as the defenses tightened when the ball got into the circle and few shots were allowed.  PSU clung to the one-goal lead until junior Alexa Carlson scored for Springfield with 12:34 on the clock after a scramble near the left goal post, evening the match at 1-1.

            The game appeared headed to overtime but the Pride had other ideas.  Springfield was awarded a penalty corner with slightly less than three minutes remaining, and converted for the eventual game-winner.  Sophomore Kayla Sokol took the corner, Carlson stopped it and passed to Dean, who fired a rocket into the goal that Panther goalie Hilary Lemelin (Milan, N.H.) had little chance at.

            Plymouth State finished with a slim 12-9 advantage in shot, while Springfield had more penalty corners by a 9-6 count.  Lemelin made two saves in the Panther goal, and junior Alison McCarthy earned the win for the Pride with a nine-save effort.

            PSU returns to Little East Conference play Saturday with a visit to Fitchburg State University (10:00 a.m.)  Springfield plays a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game Saturday at Wheaton (12 noon). 

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