Box Score

CASTLETON, Vt. -- Castleton State College jumped out to a 4-0 lead late in the first half, and held off a late surge from the University of New England to win, 7-4, in non-conference field hockey action Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium.

Senior Sarah Flore (Springfield, Vt.) recorded the first and fourth goals of the contest, and assisted on the third marker of the match, as the Spartans (1-1) assumed control over the opening 25 minutes.

UNE first-year Casey Clark (Franconia, N.H.) scored off a feed from sophomore Emily Koehler (Pelham, N.H.) with just over eight minutes remaining in the initial frame to get the Nor'easters on the board.

Castleton held a 20-8 advantage in shots in the period, but UNE senior goalie Ayla Nelson (Auburn, Mass.) made 12 saves to keep the deficit at three (4-1).

After senior Michaela Franey (York, Maine) found the back of the cage three minutes into the second stanza to cut the margin to two, the Spartans tacked on a pair of goals in short order to restore the four-goal lead (6-2).

Franey blasted home another in the 47th minute, then set up junior Bree Tupper (Winthrop, Maine) in the 58th as the Nor'easters made it 6-4.

As the momentum began to shift towards the visitors, Castleton first-year Blake Wardwell (Bridgewater, Vt.) tallied her second goal of the game with 3:07 to play to seal the victory.

Senior Siobhan Whittemore (Springfield, Vt.) gave up one goal and made four saves over the opening 41:45, before junior Bridget Dusha (Greenwich, N.Y.) finished up and posted nine saves. Nelson finished with 14 stops for UNE (1-1).

Both teams return to action Wednesday. The Spartans entertain Plymouth State University, while the Nor'easters host Framingham State University (7 p.m.).