HENNIKER, N.H. – Senior
Sarah Adamske (Windham, N.H.) scored her first goal of the season, but New England College slipped past Plymouth State University, 3-2, in a non-conference field hockey game at Don Melander Field on Tuesday night.
The Pilgrims scored the lone goal of the first early in the second quarter, then doubled their lead in the opening minutes of the third to take a 2-0 lead. A long clearance sent the Panthers to a 3-on-2 break, and Adamske swept a centering pass past the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 late in the frame.
NEC responded less than a minute later to carry a 3-1 lead into the fourth quarter. PSU controlled play throughout the final 15 minutes. With a scrum in front of the NEC cage, freshman
Amelia Avery (Campton, N.H.) flipped the loose ball over the goalkeeper to pull within one. Avery nearly tied the game with a shot toward the far post following a penalty corner with less than three minutes remaining, but the goalkeeper sprawled and extended her left leg to deny the chance as the Pilgrims held on for the win.
Plymouth State falls to 2-9, while the Pilgrims improve to 6-4.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, NEC 3
- Plymouth State (2-9)
- NEC (6-4)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers had sustained pressure midway through the first quarter, forcing the NEC goalkeeper into a series of saves.
- Momentum shifted to the Pilgrims late in the frame, but sophomore Natalie Merrick (East Longmeadow, Mass.) stopped a pair of shots to keep the game scoreless after one.
- NEC broke through early in the second quarter to take a 1-0 lead, which would stand into halftime.
- The Pilgrims extended the lead just over two minutes into the third quarter and were looking for more, but Merrick made a pair of saves.
- Off a restart, the Panthers fired a long ball up the right side to graduate student Ellie Monahan (Watertown, Mass.) for a 3-on-2 break. Monahan played the ball to junior Lexi Berrettini (Lake Bluff, Ill.), who made an extra pass to Adamske, who swept the ball home to pull within 2-1 with 3:10 left in the third.
- NEC answered less than a minute later to restore the two-goal margin heading into the fourth quarter.
- Plymouth State kept the pressure on throughout the final 15 minutes, earning six corners. With heavy traffic in front of the cage and the goalkeeper sprawled on the ground, Avery jumped on a loose ball and flipped it over her to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 5:03 left in regulation.
- PSU earned its seventh corner of the fourth quarter with less than three minutes remaining. Junior Georgia Coleman (North Conway, N.H.) served the ball to Avery, who fired toward the far post, but the NEC goalkeeper was able to kick the shot aside and the Pilgrims cleared the ball out of danger to hold on for the win.
By the Numbers:
- Avery's tally was her third of the season.
- Adamske scored her first goal of the year.
- Berrettini registered her team-leading sixth assist.
- Merrick finished with eight saves.
- NEC held a narrow 11-10 edge in shots on goal.
- Plymouth State had an 11-8 advantage in penalty corners, including 7-0 in the fourth quarter.
- PSU leads the series, 22-10, though NEC had won four of the previous six meetings.
Up Next:
- The Panthers return home to host UMass Boston in a Little East Conference (LEC) matchup on Saturday (Oct. 10) at noon. The game will serve as the team's Morgan's Message Game, bringing attention to the importance of student-athlete mental health.
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