Castleton Field Hockey Clinches Fifth Seed After 8-1 Win Over UMass Boston
The Vermont State University Castleton field hockey team secured the fifth seed in the Little East Conference tournament by defeating UMass Boston 8-1 on Saturday in a regular season finale played at The Charles River Campus in Newton, Mass.
Castleton finished the regular season with a 7-10 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play. UMass Boston concluded its season at 0-17 overall and 0-7 in the Little East Conference.
The Spartans opened the scoring 3:19 into the first quarter and added a second goal just over four minutes later. UMass Boston narrowed the deficit at the 22:04 mark before Castleton responded with a goal from Caitlin Connolly, assisted by Gwyn Vincent, with just five seconds remaining in the quarter.
Following a third quarter that saw Castleton stop three UMass Boston penalty corners early in the period, the Spartans extended their lead. Peyton Richardson scored an unassisted goal at 40:39, followed shortly by a goal from Vincent off an assist by Connolly. Vincent added another score with three seconds left in the third quarter to bring the lead to 6-1.
In the fourth quarter, UMass Boston was held without a shot. Castleton secured the final 8-1 scoreline with goals from Ellie Campbell and Richardson.
Statistical advantages for Castleton included a 20-4 edge in total shots and a 14-1 advantage in shots on goal. Penalty corners favored the Spartans 11-5.
Vincent and Richardson both recorded hat tricks in the match. The performance marked Vincent’s second hat trick of the season and the third of her career, while it was the first for Richardson. Connolly finished the day with five points, contributing one goal and three assists.
With the regular season concluded, fifth-seeded Castleton advances to the Little East Conference Tournament. The Spartans will travel to face fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut in Mansfield, Conn., on Tuesday with the game scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
