PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Taylor Healey (Campton, N.H.) scored three times and Plymouth State University wrapped up its best regular season since 2017 as the Panthers topped Western Connecticut State University, 5-1, in a Little East Conference (LEC) field hockey game on Panther Field on Saturday.
The game marked the final regular season contest for head coach
Bonnie Lord, who has been at the helm since the 2000 season. Her 274 career wins are not only the most in program history, but the fourth-most of any Plymouth State head coach in the nearly century-long history of Panthers' athletics. Lord was honored prior to the game for her dedication and contributions to the program, joined by family and alumni dating back over the course of her career.
Healey scored her first of the game just 2:30 into the contest on a tomahawk shot after she collected a loose ball off a deflected shot from sophomore
Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) to give the Panthers the early 1-0 lead.
PSU tacked on two more in the second quarter. Junior
Athena Comeau (Rutland, Mass.) collected a pass from freshman
Caroline Coleman (Conway, N.H.) on a penalty corner and blasted a shot that found its way through the WestConn goalkeeper's pads to make it 2-0, then Coleman added a goal of her own after a Stowell shot was knocked down. Coleman collected the loose ball and fired it low to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead at halftime.
WestConn got one back late in the third quarter, but Healey scored again early in the fourth to make it 4-1 and Healey put the game away with her third hat trick and seventh multi-goal game of the year as PSU cruised to the 5-1 win.
Plymouth State ends the regular season at 11-5 (9-3 LEC) and sits in a three-way tie for third place in the conference. After applying the league's tie-breaking rules, PSU will be the fifth seed for next week's LEC Tournament, opening postseason play at fourth-seeded Keene State on Tuesday (Nov. 1).
WestConn slips to 5-12 and 2-10 in the LEC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 5, WestConn 1
- Plymouth State (11-5, 9-3 LEC)
- WestConn (5-12, 2-10 LEC)
How it Happened:
- PSU scored early on a goal from Healey just 2:30 into the game.
- Comeau scored her 13th of the season early in the second quarter to extend the Panthers' lead.
- Coleman added her sixth of the year moments later as PSU carried a commanding 3-0 advantage into halftime.
- WestConn struck late in the third quarter when they fired home a shot to put the Wolves on the board.
- Healey added her second tally of the game early in the fourth quarter to restore the three-goal advantage.
- Healey scored again just under two minutes later to complete the hat trick, giving her 25 goals on the season.
- PSU cruised the rest of the way for the 5-1 win.
By the Numbers:
- Comeau scored her 13th of the year and has goals in ten of her last 12 games.
- Healey scored her 23rd, 24th and 25th goals of the season. She has seven multi-goal games this year. She ends the regular season third in the LEC in scoring.
- Junior Piper Sherbert (Freeport, Maine) made three saves in the first half to pick up the win, while classmate Kayla Antonucci (Windham, N.H.) manned the cage for the second half.
- The Panthers are 15-3 against WestConn.
Up Next:
- Fifth-seeded Plymouth State is on the road Tuesday (Nov. 1) for a LEC quarterfinal clash with rival and fourth-seeded Keene State. Game time has yet to be announced.
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