Southern Maine Blanks Field Hockey, 2-0

GORHAM, Maine  -  Sophomore Brooke Caron (Bryant Pond, Maine/Oxford Hills) scored one in each half to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 2-0 win over the Westfield State University Owls in a Little East Conference field hockey game Saturday afternoon at Hannaford Field.  

 The conference win is the fourth of the season for USM who presently sit in a two-way tie for first in the LEC standings. Westfield State  is now 3-7, 2-2 Little East, while Southern Maine is 6-5, 4-1 in the Little East. 

The Huskies scored early going up 1-0 on the Owls less than two minutes into the opening quarter as Carson deftly redirected a centering pass from freshman Sage Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagle). 

USM continued to pressure in the opening half and led the Owls in shots and corners by a margin of 4-2 but settled for a 1-0 lead headed into the break. Carson notched her second goal of the game, and team-leading eighth goal of the season, quickly in the third quarter scoring at 30:48 on the clock for a 2-0 lead. 

With a two-goal lead in hand, USM outshot Westfield State 9-3 in the second half and junior Julianna Kiklis (York, Maine) played steady in goal for the shut out. Westfield State sophomore Emily Martin (Southwick, Mass./Southwick Tolland) had a pair of defensive saves for the Owls. Both of Martin's defensive saves came in the opening quarter.  

Carson now has eight goals and one assist for a team-high 17 points. Drinkwater has six goals and four assists for 16 points.

Husky junior Julianna Kiklis (York, Maine) made a pair of saves to earn the shutout.  Westfield's Riley Goulet (Marion, Mass.) made five saves for the Owls. 

Southern Maine travels to Worcester State on Wednesday (7:00 pm) for a Little East Conference game with the Lancers.  Westfield State hosts Fitchburg State on Wednesday (7:00 pm) in a LEC game.