GORHAM, Maine – Graduate student
Ellie Monahan (Watertown, Mass.) scored her team-leading 11th goal of the season and sophomore goalkeeper
Natalie Merrick (East Longmeadow, Mass.) notched another double-digit save effort, but the University of Southern Maine scored twice in the fourth quarter to slip past Plymouth State University, 3-1, in a Little East Conference (LEC) field hockey game at Hannaford Field on Tuesday night.
The battle between the top two teams in the league standings remained scoreless through halftime. The Huskies broke through midway through the third quarter, but Monahan answered less than 30 seconds later to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 1-1.
Southern Maine pulled ahead early in the final stanza, then added an insurance goal with 7:05 remaining as the Panthers were unable to rally.
Plymouth State falls to 6-11 (4-2 LEC), but has a chance to earn a top-two seed and first-round bye with a win against WestConn in the regular-season finale on Saturday (Oct. 31). The Huskies improve to 13-6 and remain unbeaten in conference play (6-0).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Southern Maine 3
- Plymouth State (6-11, 4-2 LEC)
- Southern Maine (13-6, 6-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Neither team recorded a shot on goal in the first quarter.
- Merrick made three saves while the PSU defense blocked a pair of shots to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
- PSU earned consecutive penalty corners and nearly went ahead midway through the third quarter, but a feed from graduate student Jasmine Peterson (Alexandria, N.H.) got under the stick of junior Georgia Coleman (North Conway, N.H.) at the post.
- The Huskies broke through 8:09 into the third quarter when a centering pass was deflected in front. A Southern Maine player collected the rebound and flipped a shot high into the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead.
- Plymouth State immediately responded off a penalty corner. Junior Lexi Berrettini (Lake Bluff, Ill.) sent a pass to the middle, where Monahan collected the ball and fired a shot inside the near post to make it 1-1. The score remained tied heading into the fourth quarter.
- Southern Maine went back in front less than three minutes into the final stanza when a Husky stopped a clearance attempt and wove through three defenders before slipping a shot inside the left post for a 2-1 lead.
- The hosts added an insurance goal five minutes later, and PSU could not rally.
By the Numbers:
- Monahan's 11 goals are the most in a season since Taylor Healey scored 15 in 2024.
- Berrettini picked up her ninth assist.
- Monahan and Berrettini are tied for the team lead with 29 points apiece.
- Merrick made 11 saves and has reached double-digit saves in each of the last three games.
- The Huskies owned a 14-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 5-4 edge in penalty corners.
- Plymouth State leads the series, 27-20, though the Huskies have won eight of the last nine meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts WestConn in the regular-season finale Saturday (Oct. 31) at 11 a.m. Prior to the contest, PSU will honors its senior class during a Senior Day ceremony. A win would secure the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in next week's LEC Tournament.
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