Harthcock, Martin Power Owls Past Dartmouth

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State's Skyla Harthcock (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) scored a pair of goals and Emily Martin (Southwick, Mass.) added two assists as Westfield State topped UMass-Dartmouth, 3-1 in a Little East Conference field hockey game at Alumni Field on Tuesday evening.

Westfield improves to 7-6, 4-3 in the Little East while UMass Dartmouth drops to 2-9, 0-6 in the LEC.

Westfield got on the board first when Harthcock ran onto a long lead pass from Martin and beat UMD keeper Hannah Trombly (Foxboro, Mass.).    Westfield's Morgan Wichmann (Granby, Conn.) started the play with a long pass upfield after a 16-yard free hit for the Owls.

Trombly did her best to keep UMD in the game, making 11 saves in the first half, as her team mustered just one shot on the Owls' goal in the opening 30 minutes.

The Owls added a second goal when the dynamic duo connected again, this time on a 2-on-none breakaway, with Martin carrying the ball down the right hash before crossing it to Harthcock at the left post for her second goal of the night.   Lindsey Spindel (Mendon, Mass.) started the play, foiling a Corsairs corner with good stickwork at the top of the circle, and outletted to Erin Lane (Canton, Mass.), who found Martin and Harthcock 10 yards behind the pushed up Corsair offense.

For Harthcock, it was her third multiple-goal game of the season, and she takes over the team scoring lead with 22 points this season.

UMD climbed on the scoreboard 1:52 into the fourth quarter on a penalty corner, as Jenna Carvalho's (Westport, Mass.) shot from the top was redirected by Maggie Doherty (Braintree, Mass.), and Harley Hodge (Danbury, Conn.) was the recipient of the deflection at the left post, slipping it behind Westfield keeper Emma Gniadek (Worcester, Mass. / Doherty)  to trim the lead to 2-1.

Westfield added an insurance goal with nine and a half minutes to play as Molly Finnegan (Westport, Mass./Old Rochester) scooped a loose ball off the pads of Trombly and backhanded in the goal for her first collegiate goal.

Trombly stood on her head all night, finished with 21 saves for the Corsiairs, including stonewalling Westfield's Madison Oullette (Uxbridge, Mass.) with a stick save on a penalty stroke in the second half.

Gniadek finished with one save.  Westfield outshot the Corsairs 34-4 and had a 24-2 advantage in shots on goal.    Westfield generated eight penalty corners to UMD's four.

Westfield State assistant coaches Abby Chernick and Carden Maloney piloted the Owls with head coach Jessica Bergen missing the game due to illness.

UMass Dartmouth will next host Western Connecticut State in a Little East Conference game on Thursday evening.

Westfield will host Eastern Connecticut on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Alumni Field in another LEC Matchup.