Field Hockey Falls To NEC

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College field hockey team dropped a 1-0 decision to New England Collegiate Conference foe New England College at Leary Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Blazers (5-11, 2-3 NECC) fell behind in the 24th minute when Sofia Castriotta (Framingham, Mass.) took control of an attempted Elms clearance in the circle and fired the game's only goal.

The game was evenly contested throughout, with NEC finishing with a 14-11 advantage in shots and 11-10 edge in penalty corners. The Pilgrims (7-8, 4-0 NECC) owned a 10-4 lead in shots on goal in the game.

Jillian Lapponese (Enfield, Conn.) made seven saves for Elms while counterpart Christine McNeil (Pawcatuck, Conn.) made three for the Pilgrims. Evelyn DeVaux (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Ellie Serra (Palmer, Mass.) each had a defensive save for the Blazers and Zoe Pedler (Bunbury, Australia) made one for NEC.

Trailing 1-0 late in the game, the Blazers did their best to even the score. In the game's final three-plus minutes, Elms managed four shots, including three on goal, and four penalty corners, but everything was turned away by NEC as the Pilgrims hung on for victory.

The Blazers wrap up the regular season at Becker on Oct. 23 before opening the NECC tournament on Oct. 31. The Pilgrims will visit Dean in NECC play on Oct. 23. Seeding and opening round sites for the conference tournament will be determined by the final conference standings, with the league's top two teams hosting opening round contest.