NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts - The University of Maine at Farmington field hockey team dropped its season opener on Saturday afternoon on day one of the Carly Newhof Classic, falling to Westfield State, 5-1.
How it Happened:
The Owls controlled the pace of play from the outset, carrying possession throughout the majority of the opening quarter and holding a 6-0 shot advantage over the Beavers across the first 15 minutes of play.
Making her first collegiate start in goal for the Beavers, sophomore Hailey Johnson (Augusta, Maine) turned away the first three shots she faced. Junior back Elizabeth Grondin (Jay, Maine) was also credited with a defensive save in the first quarter to keep the Beavers within striking distance.
Westfield State cracked the scoreboard for the first time with 48 seconds remaining when Caroline Andrade scored off a penalty corner, putting the Owls up 1-0 heading into the second quarter.
Westfield State continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, but Johnson did not give an inch. The Owls rattled off 11 shots, forcing saves from Johnson as the game remained 1-0 heading into halftime.
Farmington came out of halftime and generated its first two shots of the game in the opening two minutes of the third quarter, but Owl goalkeeper Olivia Labrie was up to the task, turning away both attempts that would have tied the game.
The Beavers made a goalkeeper change at halftime as Abby Herlihy (Nashua, N.H.) made her collegiate debut. Herlihy was met with significant pressure as Andrade scored her second goal of the game at the 33:50 mark, the first of three goals over a span of one minute and 29 seconds that put Westfield State ahead 4-0. Alyssa Reynolds was credited with a goal before Andrade completed the hat trick.
Westfield State tacked on one more goal in the final minutes of the quarter when Skyler Oster muscled home a rebound to make it a 5-0 game heading into the fourth quarter.
Farmington broke the shutout when Ruby Taylor (Poland, Maine) scored her first collegiate goal, firing home a rebound with 35 seconds remaining to make it a 5-1 game.
Stats of the Game:
- Shots: Westfield State 24, Farmington 6
- Shots on Goal: Westfield State 21, Farmington 6
- Penalty Corners: Westfield State 6, Farmington 1
The Goalkeepers:
Johnson played the entire first half before returning to the game midway through the third quarter, finishing with 15 saves while allowing two goals.
The Owls used three goalkeepers as Olivia Labrie, Keira Surprenant, and Lillian Rowell combined to make five saves in the win.
UP NEXT
The Beavers will return to action on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 PM in the consolation game of the Carly Newhof Classic against Gordon College.
