Blazers Unable To Maintain Momentum After 48-Hour Delay, Fall 3-1 At Becker

LEICESTER, Mass. – The Elms College field hockey team built a 1-0 halftime lead over Becker on Tuesday but a 48-hour lightning delay stole the Blazers' thunder as the Hawks scored three second-half goals when the game resumed on Thursday to pick up a 3-1 win.

Olivia Keane (Enfield, Conn.) scored the game's first goal in the seventh minute on Tuesday (Oct. 23) from Madison Gabel's (Agawam, Mass.) pass off a penalty corner. The 1-0 lead held until halftime, when non-stop lightning forced the game to be suspended.

Elms (5-12, 2-4 NECC) made the trip back to Leicester for the game's final 35 minutes on Thursday, but couldn't hang on to the advantage. Becker evened the score just two minutes into the second half when Alexis Keohane (North Brookfield, Mass.) on a penalty corner with assists from Lauren Niemann (Bay Shore, N.Y. ) and Abigail Leahy (Charlton, Mass.).

The Hawks (7-8, 4-1 NECC) took their first lead of the contest in the 46th minute when Leahy found Kylian Kelly (Shrewsbury, Mass.) for a goal off another penalty corner. Becker added an insurance goal in the 64th minute when Amy Cooper (Monument, Colo.) found Katherine Bernier (Dudley, Mass.) to put the Hawks ahead 3-1.

Becker out-shot Elms 15-10 overall and held an 11-7 advantage in penalty corners in what truly was a tale of two halves. The Blazers owned an 8-2 advantage in shots and 5-4 lead in corners on the first half before the Hawks turned the tables for a 13-2 lead in shots and 7-2 lead in penalty corners in Thursday's second half.

The game was the regular-season finale for the Blazers, who will be on the road for their NECC semifinal match on Oct. 31. Becker will wrap up the regular season at New England College on Oct. 27 at noon. NECC tournament matchups will be announced over the weekend.