Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The old adage that the best defense is a good offense worked to Kean University's favor on Saturday afternoon, as the visiting Cougars shutdown the high-powered State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team offense and got the game winning goal from sophomore Marissa Robinson with 40 seconds remaining to register a 2-1 victory at the Turf Field.

The Cougars, who came into the contest ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division III in goals-against-average (0.81), relied on the goaltending of sophomore Katie DiCarlo, who ranks seventh in the nation in save percentage (.847), to hold the Hawks in check. DiCarlo made 11 saves against a Hawk team that had scored five goals against Vassar College on Thursday and came into the Senior Day game averaging nearly four goals a game. Prior to the contest, New Paltz honored its six seniors.

The loss drops New Paltz to 11-8, but the season continues in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) playoff action. The Hawks are the No. 3 seed in the SUNYAC Field Hockey Tournament and look to defend last year's conference title in a semifinal game against second-seeded SUNY Geneseo next Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Kean finishes its season 14-4, the only losses coming in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play.

The Hawks got on the board first, just eight minutes into the contest, when senior forward Danielle Conklin (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern), scored her 22nd goal of the season off a rebound shot. DiCarlo made a sharp save off a shot from sophomore forward Dani Ackerman (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East), but Conklin was in perfect position to follow up the pad save for the goal.

On two subsequent occasions in the first half, Conklin had breakaway opportunities that narrowly went astray and the Hawks held a slim 1-0 lead at intermission.

Nearing the 50 minute mark, the Cougars got on the board when sophomore Linda Cheatham scored her third goal of the season off a penalty corner at 49:06. Senior Korri Thompson's feed slipped through the crease, onto Cheatham's stick and past New Paltz senior goalie Antonija Pjetri (Suffren, N.Y./Suffren). The Hawks' goalie made seven saves.

At the 55:23 mark, the Hawks had a chance to break the 1-1 stalemate after being awarded a penalty shot following a Kean foul. It did not come to fruition, however, as sophomore defender Jessica Caruana (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) had her driving shot deftly stopped by DiCarlo.

The game appeared headed toward overtime, but the Cougars got back-to-back penalty corners in the final 90 seconds and capitalized on their last. Thompson once again found a teammate, this time Robinson, who tallied her third goal of the season with 40 seconds remaining in regulation.