Carroll's Late Goal Lifts Field Hockey Past Fairfield, 3-2

Friday, October 3

Fairfield, CT

3 pm

University of New Hampshire

1-0(3-8; AE)

Fairfield University

0-1(4-8; AE)

New Hampshire

Fairfield

10/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Meg Carroll (Mansfield, Mass.) scored with 9:04 remaining in regulation to lift the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday afternoon's 3-2 victory against Fairfield University at University Field.

UNH improved to 3-8 overall and 1-0 in America East by winning its 11^th consecutive conference game dating back to the 2012 season. Fairfield is now 4-8 overall, 0-1 in America East and 0-10 lifetime against New Hampshire.

With the game tied 2-2, the Wildcats converted their 10th penalty corner of the game into the game-winning tally at 60:56. Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.) initiated the scoring sequence with the insert and the initial shot by Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) was stopped by Fairfield goalie Caitlin Bennett. Carroll scored off the rebound, however, to put the 'Cats back in front to stay.

Flatley finished the game with one goal and an assist and Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) scored UNH's other goal. Mendonca, although not credited with her first career point, did record a defensive save – her second of the season -- in the fourth minute of the game. Carlie Tarbell (Wakefield, Mass.) recorded eight of her nine saves in the first half.

Bennett made 11 of her 16 saves in the first half and Felicitas Heinen was credited with a defensive save. Ann Burgoyne scored both of the Stags' goals.

"I was very pleased with the pressure we put on them," 24^th-year head coach Robin Balducci said. "We really settled in and played well. We put it together. Today we had the possession game and peppered the goalie with shots."

Fairfield opened the game strong in the opening seven minutes with four shots – three of which were turned aside by Tarbell and the other was swept away from the cage by Mendonca – and a penalty corner.

The tables turned the next seven minutes, however, with UNH tallying seven shots and four corners. Nerbonne was denied by Bennett at 8:20 and again off a corner at 9:05. The Wildcats pressured again and generated another corner at 11:45. This time Bennett blocked the shot off the stick of Mendonca and then she made stops against Nerbonne and Emma Compagna (Canton, Mass.). UNH was awarded another corner, however, and for the fourth time in as many minutes, Bennett recorded a save against Nerbonne.

The Wildcats advanced the ball into the circle, earned a corner at 13:59 and this time Nerbonne's bid was blocked by a Fairfield defender.

The Stags regained momentum when Burgoyne fired on target at 16:03. One minute later, Fairfield converted a penalty corner into a goal and 1-0 lead as Tarbell stopped Marta Laginja's initial shot but Burgoyne scored off the rebound at 17:17.

Fairfield threatened again almost immediately – 20 seconds later – but Tarbell denied the bid by Julie de Paeuw.

UNH quickly transformed a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead on goals 2:30 apart by Nerbonne and Flatley. Flatley initiated the scoring sequence on the tying goal with the insert on a corner to Chandler Giese (Trappe, Pa.) and Nerbonne scored on a direct shot at 22:24 for her fifth tally of the year. Flatley then scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season at 24:54 when she deposited a Kellie Joyce (South Pomfret, Vt.) crossing pass into the cage.

Two minutes later, Flatley and Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) were both stopped by Bennett.

Fairfield called time out at 28:07, but that did little to slow New Hampshire's attack as Carroll fired shots on goal at 28:42 and 28:58. Bensaia then shot wide in the 33^rd minute and was stopped by Bennett – her 11^th save of the half – in the 34^th minute.

The Stags pressured in the closing minute of the first half with Tarbell denying Burgoyne and then Laginja on an untimed penalty corner.

At the half, UNH led 2-1 with the advantage in both shots (15-10) and corners (5-3).

The 'Cats carried momentum into the opening minutes of the second half with Lynne Lehman (Landisburg, Pa.) shooting wide in the 37^th minute.

Fairfield tied the score, 2-2, at 40:07 when Burgoyne scored her second goal of the game by deflecting Emily McCauley's shot high into the cage.

UNH pressured again in the 43^rd minute but Bennett turned away Lehman and then Jackie Hozza (Sinking Spring, Pa.) on a corner. The Stags generated a corner in the 47^th minute and Tarbell kept the score deadlocked with a save against Felicitas Heinen.

Heinen made a defensive save at the other end of the field to deny Nerbonne on a penalty corner at 53:29. Less than two minutes later on another UNH corner, Bennett made the save herself by stopping Mendonca.

Carroll then gave the 'Cats a 3-2 lead off the team's 10th and final corner.

The Wildcats called a timeout with 2:53 remaining, entered the ball into the circle with just over one minute remaining and Flatley's shot was blocked aside by Bennett.

Neither team recorded a shot or corner the rest of the way. UNH recorded season highs in both shots (23) and corners (10). Fairfield finished with 13 shots and four corners.

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 5 (1 p.m.) at Rutgers University. The Wildcats' next home game is Oct. 10 (3 p.m.) when they return to America East conference action against University at Albany.