Joyce lifts UNH past Dartmouth in OT win

Kellie Joyce scored at 5:53 of overtime to lift the 19th-ranked University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Sunday afternoon’s 5-4 non-conference victory against Dartmouth College at Chase Field.

UNH, who also secured a victory on Saturday against Maine with a final score of 2-1, won its fourth consecutive game to improve to 11-7, while Dartmouth, which entered the game with a four-game win streak, is now 10-6.

UNH goalkeeper Carlie Tarbell, the reigning America East Defensive Player of the Week, made three of her four saves in the second half. DC’s starting goalie Jenna Stearns exited the game with the score tied 3-3 at 66:21; she was credited with seven saves. 

Ellen Meyer, who entered the game to face a penalty stroke after Stearns was injured, allowed two goals and did not make a save.

Hannah Richard and Megan Bozek recorded two goals apiece to lead the Wildcats’ attack while Janine Leger tallied two goals and an assist for Dartmouth. 

The Big Green took a 2-0 lead with goals in the 11th and 23rd minutes. Leger scored an unassisted goal at 10:11 when her shot from the left side sailed under the crossbar.

Six minutes later, Brooke Van Valkenburg fired a shot off the crossbar from the right wing. Maggie Scanlon gathered the rebound in front and also lifted a shot off the crossbar. DC extended the lead to 2-0 at 22:09 when Leger, from the middle of the circle, pushed the ball wide left and Scanlon struck the ball into the cage.

UNH responded with a goal 70 seconds later on a penalty corner to pull within one goal. Emma Erler inserted the ball to Joyce as the stick-stop at the top of the circle, and Bozek drilled a low shot inside the right post at 23:19.

The Wildcats generated another corner with six minutes remaining in the first half. Bozek’s direct shot was stopped by Stearns’ stacked pads and Richard, who corralled the ball on the right side, had a shot blocked by a Big Green defender.

New Hampshire leveled the score, 2-2, at 33:18 on another corner. From just left of top of the circle, Casey Pohlmeyer hit a low, hard, diagonal ball towards the far post and Richard, with a diving effort, redirected a high shot inside the post.

With the score tied 2-2 at halftime, UNH had the edge in both shots (9-7) and penalty corners (7-1).

The Wildcats struck again at 37:32 to take a 3-2 lead. Meg Flatley penetrated the circle along the right end line and her centering pass eluded Stearns, which allowed Richard to redirect the ball into an open cage.

Dartmouth had a quick response to tie the score, 3-3, on a corner at 40:12. 

Lisa Masini inserted the ball to stick-stop Maya Herm and Liz Blanken’s low drive was redirected from the middle of the circle inside the right post by Leger.

With 11 minutes remaining in regulation, UNH generated a transition attack and Richard drove a low shot wide of the right post. One minute later, Pohlmeyer struck a dangerous shot through traffic wide of the cage.

In the 66th minute, Flatley stole the ball at midfield and pushed the ball forward to create a 1-on-1 scoring chance. Stearns charged from the goal line and made a sliding effort to poke check the ball away. She was injured on the play, however, and UNH was awarded a penalty stroke. 

With Meyer now defending the cage, Bozek fired a low shot inside the right post to put New Hampshire back in front, 4-3, at 66:21.

DC replied with immediate pressure and generated a corner that resulted in Blanken’s direct shot being blocked by a UNH defensive player. 

The home team continued to press and Eliza Becker, from just outside the top of the circle, slipped a pass forward to Herm, whose low blast to the left side found the back of the cage to tie the score, 4-4, at 67:47.