DANBURY, Conn. - The Western Connecticut State University field hockey team held an early lead but non-league foe Dean College overcame the advantage to open its season with a 4-3 win over the Wolves at The WAC on a dreary Tuesday night. With the loss, the Wolves dropped to 0-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs improved to 1-0. WestConn will look to bounce back when they head to Elms College for a non-conference tilt on Friday at 7 p.m. WestConn outshot Dean 20-16 (10 on goal to 12) and held an 11-8 edge on penalty corners, but couldn't convert enough of that pressure into the back of the cage. First-year goalkeeper
Brooklyn Testa (Danbury, Conn.) made eight saves in the loss, while junior Sara Gardner (Hampstead, Md.) turned away seven shots to earn the win in the Dean cage.
Neither team found the net in the first quarter before the squads traded three consecutive goals in the second, then the visitor's third-quarter tally proved decisive down the stretch.
Sophomore
Ellenoire Schoen (Newtown, Conn.) got the hosts on the board to break the ice, scoring her first career goal 43 seconds into the second quarter off a rebound. Dean answered quickly with back-to-back markers from first-year forward Hailey Lamping (Stanfordville, N.Y.) and junior Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, N.Y.), the latter blast was assisted by sophomore Sophia Klanchesser (Portsmouth, N.H.), to take a 2-1 lead into the half.
WestConn tied it up in the third quarter on a goal from senior
Alyssa Montalvo (Holbrook, N.Y.), assisted by junior
Jaelyn Moulton (Stafford Springs, Conn.), before Moulton found the net herself unassisted late in the period to put the Wolves ahead 3-2. Dean rallied in the fourth, when junior Kelsey Blair (Carmel, N.Y.) — assisted by senior Emily Kilpatrick (Marion, Mass.) — deflected home a shot, tying the game. Moments later, junior Katrina Lee (Brookline, N.H.) scored the eventual game-winner with less than three minutes remaining. Both teams seemed confused as play seemed to be halted before the go-ahead shot crossed the line.
