SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Mount Holyoke field hockey team scored three unanswered goals to break open a 1-1 tie and held on for a 4-2 victory over Springfield College on Saturday afternoon in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Stagg Field.
The Lyons, which entered the game ranked 20th in the latest Penn Monto / NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll, improved to 11-1, 3-1 in league play. The Pride drop to 3-8, 1-3 in league play after having its two-game winning streak snapped.
Diana Banmann (Hannover, Germany) scored the first of her three goals on the afternoon at the 11:41 mark off a feed by Kirsten Kilburn (North Branford, Conn.). Kilburn ripped a shot from 15 yards out, which deflected off Banmann's stick and into the back of the goal just over Springfield netminder Juliana Barrasso (Bayport, N.Y.).
Just under five minutes later, Springfield's Olivia Cabral (Sayville, N.Y.) answered back to even the game at one. Libby Hart (Chatham, Mass.) fired a penalty corner to Cabral, who set up a give-and-go with MK Murray (Killingworth, Conn.) before posting the game-tying goal.
At the 21:54 mark, the Lyons took the lead for good after Sarah LaQuerre (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) found to Banmann to left side of goal. Barrasso saved the initial bid, only to have Banmann control the rebound save and score her second.
Mount Holyoke went into the half up 3-1 as Banmann scored her third off another assisted marked by Kilburn. Kilburn then got into the scoring column herself with a penalty stroke that found the top right corner just over 11 minutes into the second half.
The Pride rounded out the game's scoring in the 57th minute on a Kelly Gallo (Westfield, Mass.) strike. Off a Hart corner, Linnea Quist (New Preston, Conn.) controlled ball before blasting a shot on cage. Gallo was able to get a stick on the ball and deflect in it, but that's all the rally Springfield could muster.
Mount Holyoke owned a 19-5 edge in shots and a 13-6 cushion in corners. Barrasso made 10 saves in the loss, while Liz DiCesare (Westford, Mass.) needed to make just two saves in just over 60 minutes of action in goal to earn the win.
Story courtesy of Springfield Sports Communications Office.
