Box Score
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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Goals from Alyssa Kowal, Nicole Matarozzo, and Haley Pelletier powered the University of New England to a 3-1 victory over Keene State College in field hockey action Saturday afternoon (Sep. 5) at the Big Blue Turf.

The Nor'easters improve to 2-0 on the young season, while the Owls drop to 1-1.

Big Blue wasted little time getting on the board, as a broken penalty corner play left Kowal just outside the arc and the senior weaved through a couple defenders to put a hard shot into the left side with 4:38 gone.Matarozzo doubled the gap in the 19th minute, tapping in the third of consecutive rebound chances. It was still 2-0 at the break, with UNE holding a 10-4 margin in shots.

Keene State got one back in the 53rd minute, when Sami Smith collected a bouncing ball sent into the circle and pushed a shot that trickled through the goalie's pads.

Pelletier provide some breathing room for the Nor'easters just 2:17 later, though, as the senior inserted a corner to Matarozzo and then tipped home Matarozzo's drive at the near post.

Holly Smith made eight saves for the result in the UNE cage. On the opposite end of the field for the Owls, Gwendolyn Thayer turned in six stops over the closing 51 minutes after relieving Meaghan Dwyer (2 saves).

Last season, in the first-ever meeting between the teams, KSC scored the final minute to edge Big Blue by one.

UNE returns to the Big Blue Turf on Wednesday (7 p.m.) for a date with the nation's top-ranked squad in the preseason poll, Bowdoin College.

Keene State heads home to face Williams College on Tuesday (6:30 p.m.).