WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University got the first goal of the game from senior Shannon Roycroft, but Keene State recovered for a 4-1 win to spoil the Owls' senior day in a Little East Conference field hockey game at Alumni Field on Friday night.
Keene (10-10, 10-2 LEC) locks up the Little East Conference regular season title with the win, while Westfield (9-9, 8-4 LEC) must await the weekend's other conference results to learn its seed in next week's LEC Tournament. Westfield could have grabbed a share of the regular season crown with a win today.
Roycroft got Westfield on the board just 3:47 into the game, as Cheryl Latona attacked the net on a counter-attack, and fired a hard shot pass across the front of the goal mouth, where Roycroft tapped it home at the back post.
Keene equalized the game at the 9:40 mark of the first quarter, as Hannah Wood scored on a penalty corner after Emily White inserted the ball to Maggie Cahoon, who slid it right to Wood for a blast near the top of the circle.
KSU took a 2-1 lead 1:49 into the second quarter, with Irini Stefanakos taking a nifty pass from Grace Taylor deep in the circle, and found the backboard for a 2-0 lead.
Seafankos netted her second of the game 5:09 into the third period, winning a battle for a contested ball in the circle and flipping a backhanded shot in.
Westfield hung tough down two goals. Madison Ouellete had a good chance on a counter attack midway through the third period, with a shot partially saved by Victoria Watson to deflect just wide of the net.
With seven minutes left in the game, the Owls got off another flurry, as Ouellette fired an initial shot saved by Watson, and then Cheryl Latona mustered a second shot that was stopped by Keene's Emily White to preserve the lead.
KSU added a late goal from Ellie Hunkins on a deflection of shot from Lauren Hausser off of a penalty corner.
Westfield got eight saves in goal from Riley Goulet, and a trio of defensive saves from Morgan Wichman.
Watson finished with eight saves.
Keene held a 21-14 advantage in total shots and an 11-4 edge in penalty corners.
Westfield State honored its seven seniors and their families prior to the game. Roycroft, Latona, Goulet, Autumn Metivier, Colleen Fellows, Allie Giguere and and Lindsey Spindel were recognized.
Westfield will play in a first-round Little East Conference tournament game next Tuesday, November 2, with seed, site and opponent still to be determined.