Field Hockey Sits Third in LEC Standings

Weston Atwood

For The Clock

watwood@plymouth.edu

Plymouth State field hockey has a 6-3 overall record, and is currently sitting in third place of the LEC standings behind Keene State and Worcester State. Led by leading scorer and fourth highest scorer in the LEC, Nicole Burgess (Mexico, ME), the Panthers have had some great offensive success this season. They were dealt a blow with an injury to starting goaltender Dom Tarr (Antrim, NH) an old face in Alivia Bates (Pennsauken, NJ) is back on the roster and looking to step up in goal.

The Panthers had a great homecoming game against the Western Connecticut State Colonials. The first half saw them score three goals with Kate McPherson (Conway, NH) opening it up with her second goal this season. Kaitlyn Wilder (Framingham, MA) would later net her fifth, and Burgess would pick up her ninth giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead at halftime.

Burgess would pick up her tenth goal to open the half before Jordan Ray (Standish, ME) picked up her first goal this season and Kendal Lariviere (Dover, NH) notched num- ber four. The Panthers would hold the Colonials off of the board and cruise to the 6-0 victory over the Colonials.

They traveled to Salem State to take on their conference foe, the Vikings. The scoring started fast and quick for the Panthers, Katie Martin (Waterbury Ctr. VT) got the first goal of the game followed closely by Lariviere. Martin would pick up another quick one before Wilder closed out the half with her sixth of the season. The Vikings would get a goal to trail 4-1 at halftime.

In the second half, Lily Davis (Boscawen, NH) would get a goal for Plymouth followed by Martin, who would net her third for the hat trick. Freshman Kaihley Rafferty (Salem, CT) would get one more goal for the Panthers to give them the 7-1 victory over Salem State.

Plymouth would next host to Worcester State, in a match that would determine second place in the LEC standings. The Panthers who, to that point, had never trailed at home gave up two early goals. Davis would get a goal just before halftime leaving the Panthers to trail 2-1. The Lancers would pick up another goal to start the second, but the Panthers would fight back to tie it off of goals from Davis and Lariviere. It looked like overtime was certain, until a Lancer player netted the winning goal with just one minute and thirty seconds left, snapping the Panthers six game winning streak.

Despite the rough loss the team is ready to move on and play competitively. Sophomore midfielder Meghan Lahti (Lunenberg, MA) thinks the team is fired up and ready to take on Umass Dartmouth this weekend. She said the following: “We reevaluated as a team after the Worcester State game and came to a conclusion that we lacked communication, second attempts and backing up each other throughout the whole field.” Explained Lahti. “This week we were able to focus in on these concepts and we are now preparing for the competition with UMass Dartmouth on Saturday night”

The Panthers next home game is Saturday before they travel to rival Keene State on Tuesday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m.