Keene State Blanks Field Hockey, 4-0

Worcester, MA ---   Keene State sophomore Lyndsie Rabenius (N. Hampton, NH) collected five points including a pair of markers as she helped lead the Owls to a 4-0 triumph over Worcester State in Little East Conference field hockey action this afternoon at Coughlin Field.

Keene State improves to 12-2 overall and remains 7-0 in the LEC while the Lancers slip to 7-5 and 2-5 in league play.

In an opening frame that saw just five shots, the visitors took over the 1-0 lead with 17:31 off the clock.

Freshman Sami Smith (Merrimack, NH) potted her ninth goal of the season when Keene State took advantage of a misplay by the defense. Sophomore Haylie Dolan (W. Brookfield, MA) intercepted a pass on the right side of the apron before feeding it to Smith, who finished on the left corner of the net.

The Owls made the score 2-0 just 42 ticks into the second stanza. On their first possession of the frame, Rabenius sent a middle cross to freshman Kayla Renaud (Somers, CT) who found an open seam for her tenth goal of the campaign.

Rabeniuis helped put the game out of reach with the contest's final two tallies. She won a scramble for the loose ball with a shot from the right side of the circle with 41:04 off the clock before potting her tenth marker of the year off her own rebound 20 minutes later.

Worcester State sophomore Julie O'Rourke (Worcester, MA/St. Peter-Marian) had the best chance in the waning minutes of the contest to break up the shutout, but she was denied twice by sophomore reserve net minder Meaghan Dwyer (Rutland, MA) who made a diving glove save on the second attempt.

Keene State finished with the 10-2 lead in shots and the 9-5 edge in penalty corners.

Facing the early 1-0 deficit in the first half, the Lancers did have a trio of corner opportunities, but did not take advantage of any of them. The shutout marked the first time in 12 games that the Blue and Gold have been blanked this season.

KSC sophomore goalie Chloe Audesse (Goffstown, NH) was not called upon to make a save in 55:18 minutes while Dwyer stopped both of her shots on net, playing the final 14:42 between the pipes. Senior Allison Romano (E. Bridgewater, MA) collected a trio of saves for the Lancers in the setback.

Both squads will travel to non-conference opponents early next week. Worcester State takes on city-rival Clark on Tuesday at 7 PM while the Owls head to RPI on Wednesday in a 6 o'clock battle.