Field Hockey Drops 3-2 Decision to Castleton on Senior Day

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The visiting Castleton University field hockey team wrapped up regular season play with a 3-2 victory over Bridgewater State University on Senior Day at Swenson Field.

The Spartans improve to 11-7 on the season and 9-3 in the Little East. Castleton is seeded third in next week's LEC Tournament and will host #6 Fitchburg State University in a quarterfinal round game on Tuesday. The Bears end the season with an overall record of 2-15 including a 1-11 conference mark. Castleton has won each of the four meetings of the two teams since the Spartans joined the Little East in 2018.

The Spartans scored two goals just 64 seconds apart midway through the first quarter to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Senior forward Kaitlin Bardellini (Northfield, N.H.) converted off a penalty corner as she ripped a shot inside the left post off the corner feed from freshman midfielder Chance Jaquin (Canastota, N.Y.).

Junior forward Emily Harris (Crondall, England) then potted her team-leading 30th goal of the season with a blast inside the left post from the top of the circle. Sophomore midfielder Hayley Corlew (Granville, N.Y.) assisted on the goal which came in transition.

Bardellini extended the lead to 3-0 with her second goal of the game and 17th of the season with 11:06 remaining in the third quarter. Bardellini redirected an elevated pass from freshman midfielder Peyton Richardson (Windsor, Vt.) and flicked the ball over the BSU netminder and into the back of the net.

The Bears score two goals in a span of two minutes and 15 seconds late in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Freshman forward Lexi James (Ipswich, Mass.) converted off a penalty corner as she corralled a short feed from classmate Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) and slipped a shot inside the right post. Just 135 seconds later, senior forward Hannah Rolfe (Easton, Mass.) carried the ball on the right side and slipped a pass between two defenders to senior forward Bailey Turner (Dedham, Mass.). Turner stickhandled in and beat the Castleton netminder with shot inside the left post to make it a one -goal game with 1:30 showing on the scoreboard.

Bridgewater was awarded a penalty corner with 35 seconds left to play, but was unable to get a shot off as Castleton held on for the 3-2 win.

The Spartans finished with a 26-7 shot advantage for the game as well as a 6-5 edge in penalty corner attempts.

Freshman goalkeeper Zoe Martin (Haverhill, Mass.) made one save between the pipes for Castleton as she picked up her tenth win of the season. BSU freshman netminder Madelyn Guidaboni (Hanson, Mass.) turned aside eight shots in the setback for the Bears. Bridgewater also received a defensive save from junior midfielder Kelly Sharkey (Salisbury, Mass.).

Prior to the start of the game, the Bears honored Rolfe, Turner and fellow seniors Sophia Morse (West Bridgewater, Mass.) and Jordyn Perry (Nantucket, Mass.).