KEENE, N.H. (October 16, 2024) – Western New England Field Hockey senior forward Sarah Johnston's tally with nine minutes remaining in the game proved to be the difference in Wednesday's 3-2 non-conference victory over the hosting Owls of Keene State College. With the goal, Johnston becomes the sixth Golden Bear in program history to reach the 100-point plateau.

Records:

• Western New England: 8-6
• Keene State College: 12-3

How it Happened:

In the opening six minutes of the game, the Owls opened the game with much of the momentum, forcing senior goalkeeper Zoey Wexler to come up big early. KSC's Grace Bazin would take the first shot on goal of the game just three minutes into the contest, saved by Wexler. Keene's Irini Stefanakos would pick up a shot on goal, which again would be turned aside by Wexler. From there, Western New England would control the ball and get their first spurt of offense in the game. Sarah Johnston would take WNE's first penalty corner of the night, while Analise Trani would pick up the first shot, a blocked shot. Haley Kaczka picked up the first shot on goal for the Golden Bears, though Katelyn Nicotera would have an answer. With under four minutes to play in the quarter, the Golden Bears would pick up their first goal of the game off a penalty corner when Johnston inserted a ball to Kaczka, who launched a shot into the back of the net to give WNE a 1-0 lead. The junior would pick up her team-leading 10^th goal of the season. KSC outshot WNE 7-6 in the opening quarter, while the Golden Bears picked up five penalty corners in the opening 15 minutes.

The Golden Bears continued their momentum into the second quarter, controlling much of the play. Mackenna Cooke would take WNE's first shot of the quarter, though would be denied. Despite the denial, the Golden Bears continued to search for a goal and would find one on a rebound chance five minutes into the frame. Kara Edwards would put up a shot that would be saved, though just three seconds later, Tessa Ebreo would find a loose ball and find the back of the net to double Western New England's lead. The Golden Bears would continue their offensive momentum, putting up two shots on goal in quick succession, with both Trani and Kaczka taking shots, though would not be able to find a goal. Keene State would come around and take two penalty corners though could not pick up a goal as Wexler continued to hold her ground in between the pipes. WNE took four more shots to end the second quarter, though could not add to their goal total, taking a 2-0 lead into the break. Western New England outshot KSC 11-1 in the second quarter while picking up six penalty corners.

The Golden Bears opened the third quarter with the first three shots, though Keene State would turn momentum around and take control of much of the offense in the final ten minutes of the frame. With three minutes to play in the third quarter, the hosts were on the board for the first time when Irini Stefanakos found Molly Murray, who slotted home Keene's first goal of the night and her eighth overall on the season to cut Western New England's lead down to one, 2-1. The Owls would take the 5-3 shots advantage in the third quarter while both goalies would make one save each.

Keene State came away with the early chance, looking to tie the game in the fourth quarter when Stefanakos would find the ball and take a shot that would be turned away by Wexler. A penalty corner would follow for the Owls, who were unable to convert. After the unsuccessful attempt, WNE would find the ball and move it up field, which would find the stick of Sarah Johnston. The WNE senior would move the ball forward, make a move on the Keene State defender, and fire a shot that rolled just over the goal line past Keene State's goalkeeper, giving Johnston her ninth goal of the season and her 100^th career point in a WNE uniform, becoming the sixth Golden Bear to accomplish this feat in program history. The goal would give Western New England a 3-1 lead. Scoring would not be done in the game from there, as Keene State would get back within one goal again when Stefanakos would tally her eighth goal of the season with five minutes to play in the game. The Owls would grab the next penalty corner of the game, but the Golden Bears would hold off Keene State and would run out the clock to come away with a 3-2 victory.

Inside the Lines:

• Sarah Johnston's 100^th career point came on the game-winning goal for Western New England. Johnston would pick up her ninth goal overall this season.
• WNE picked up 22 shots in the game overall, putting together 13 shots on goal. Keene State notched 15 shots, eight on goal.
• Haley Kaczka opened the scoring for WNE, picking up her 10^th goal of the season, the highest on the team.
• The Golden Bears recorded 11 penalty corners in the opening half and 13 overall in the game.
• WNE has picked up two straight wins over Keene State after falling in nine of their first ten matchups overall. This is the first win at the Owl Athletic Complex for Western New England in program history.
• Keene State is now 12-0 this season against opponents from non-CNE schools. The Owls fall to 0-3 against CNE schools, 2-1 loss (OT) against UNE, 4-1 loss at Endicott, and tonight's 3-2 loss against Western New England.

Coaches Corner:

• When asked about last night's effort against one of the top teams in the Little East Conference, Head Coach Kyle Lyons quoted, "The team has done a great job of executing and sticking to the game plan in these past few games. We knew Keene was a very strong opponent and that they have a lot of speed and a lot of attack and it took us a few minutes early on to adjust. I'm really happy about the team's connection, communication, and consistency and hoping to execute the same way on Saturday against another strong opponent."
• Sarah Johnston was excited following her 100th point of her career in the win over KSC. Johnston commented on her four year career at Western New England and what has made her so successful over the years. "Reaching 100 career points is a huge milestone for me, I never would have achieved this goal if it wasn't for the support of my teammates, coaches, and family. They have played a huge role in the player I have become and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to play at WNE. My love for the game is what pushes me to be my best and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the program!"

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears return home for a CNE game on Saturday, October 19 at 5:30 PM, welcoming the University of New England to Golden Bear Stadium as part of Golden Bear Weekend.