WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Graduate student
Ellie Monahan (Watertown, Mass.) scored a pair of goals and Plymouth State University held off a fourth-quarter rally to top Eastern Connecticut State University, 3-1, in a key Little East Conference (LEC) matchup at Rick McCarthy Field on Saturday afternoon.
An Eastern Connecticut shot hit the post late in the first quarter, and Monahan scored on the counterattack to give Plymouth State a 1-0 lead with 3:10 left in the frame. The Panthers applied pressure late in the second quarter, earning multiple penalty corners and forcing several saves, but the Warriors kept the deficit at one heading into halftime.
Graduate student
Jasmine Peterson (Alexandria, N.H.) redirected a feed from freshman
Elliana Wing (Concord, N.H.) off a penalty corner 5:31 into the third quarter. Three minutes later, sophomore
Cassidy Leger (Bellingham, Mass.) sent Monahan on a breakaway, and she converted to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Warriors scored early in the fourth quarter and continued to pressure the Panther defense, but sophomore
Natalie Merrick (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and the back line kept Eastern Connecticut at bay to secure the win.
Plymouth State improves to 6-10 (4-1 LEC), while Eastern Connecticut falls to 7-8 (2-3 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Eastern Connecticut 1
- Plymouth State (6-10, 4-1 LEC)
- Eastern Connecticut (7-8, 2-3 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Eastern Connecticut nearly took the lead late in the first quarter, but a backhanded shot hit the right post.
- Plymouth State counterattacked, and Monahan beat the Warrior goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead with 3:10 remaining in the frame.
- PSU earned a pair of penalty corners and put multiple shots on goal late in the second quarter, but Eastern Connecticut kept the deficit at one heading into halftime.
- The Panthers earned a penalty corner early in the third quarter. Wing sent a pass toward the cage that slipped through traffic, and Peterson knocked it home at the far post to double the lead.
- Three minutes later, Leger sent a long pass downfield. Monahan got behind the defense and fired a shot around the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
- Eastern Connecticut scored early in the fourth to pull within 3-1 and continued to pressure the Panther defense, but Merrick and the back line preserved the win.
By the Numbers:
- Monahan secured her third multi-goal game of the season. She has four goals and two assists over the last three games and is tied for the team lead with 10 goals.
- Peterson scored her first goal of the season.
- Merrick finished with five saves.
- Plymouth State held a 10-6 advantage in shots on goal and a 5-3 edge in penalty corners.
- PSU leads the all-time series, 26-7.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State visits Southern Maine for an important conference matchup on Tuesday (Oct. 27) at 6:30 p.m. A win would move the Panthers into a tie with the Huskies atop the league standings.
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