Panthers post fourth shutout of season

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University defense limited Saint Joseph's College (Maine) to just six shots and sophomore goalie Hilary Lemelin (Milan, N.H.) made four saves Tuesday afternoon as the Panthers blanked the Monks, 2-0, in non-conference field hockey action at Arold Field.

            Freshman Jackie Morin (Scarborough, Maine) and senior Kristina Conroy (Wakefield, Mass.) scored goals for PSU as the Panthers posted their third straight victory and improved to 11-5 overall.  Saint Joe's, which had won two in a row and six of its last seven, completes its regular season at 12-5.

            Shots were hard to come by for both teams, as only 15 shots were taken by the two teams combined, nine for PSU and six for SJC.  The Monks had the first good scoring opportunity midway through the first half when senior Kayla Nowell (Bridgton, Maine) slid a shot under Lemelin, but freshman defender Amanda Butler (Newton, N.H./Sanborn Regional) made a nice defensive save for PSU along the goal line.

            PSU broke the deadlock a short time later on a goal by Morin.  Sophomore Olivia Colborn (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountain Regional) took a shot that was kicked away by Monks' freshman goalkeeper Jackie Goodell (Lebanon, N.H.), but Morin collected the rebound and fired in her seventh goal of the season with 9:25 to play in the first half.  That ended up as all of the scoring for the first 35 minutes.

            The defenses continued to control the game in the second half, PSU led by Butler, junior Brittany Treichel (Clinton, Conn.), and freshmen Aisha Rai Thompson (Berlin, N.H.) and Alyssa Audet (Biddeford, Maine) and St. Joe's backboned by junior Ashley Walukevich (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional) and sophomore Brittany Locke (Waterville, Maine).

            The Panthers scored an insurance goal in the 60th minute when junior Erin Norris (Hilton, N.Y.) sent a crossing pass from the left end line to Conroy, who was stationed in front.  Conroy collected the pass and deposited her team-leading ninth goal of the season over the goalie pads and into the cage. The Panthers shut down the Monks the rest of the way for their fourth shutout of the season.

            PSU wraps up its regular season on Saturday with a visit to Bridgewater State University for a Little East Conference match that will be pivotal for second place in the LEC.  St. Joe's will play in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals next Wednesday, Nov. 3.           

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