Keene, N.H. - September 14, 2017 - The Springfield College field hockey team registered four-first half goals and followed up with a pair more in the second to lift the Pride to a 6-1 win over Keene State on Thursday night at the Owl Athletic Complex. With the win, Springfield College improves to 5-0 on the year, the program's best start to a season since 1996.

The Pride, which was receiving votes in the Penn Moto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Coaches Poll released earlier this week, outshot the Owls 17-16 and held an 8-6 advantage in penalty corners. Keene State, which drops to 2-4 on the year, played a pair of goalies in the contest, while Springfield's starter, Emmalie Drake (Pittsford, N.Y.) registered eight saves in the victory.

Senior forward Paige Laperle (Auburn, Mass.) notched a pair of goals in the win, while Maggie Kennedy (Clay, N.Y.) also found the back of the net twice. Second-year forward Taylor Conley (Yarmouth Port, Mass.) also scored, while Taylor Low (Longmeadow, Mass.) finished with a goal and two assists.

Keene State opened the game's scoring just 2:11 into the contest when Nina Bruno (Agawam, Mass.) set up Erica Stauffer (Cheshire, Conn.) to give the Owls a brief 1-0 lead, before Low found Laperle for a strike 7:11 later to knot the game at one apiece. Low would connect with Laperle once more just 6:37 later to give the Pride a 2-1 lead, before Dani Sweet (Charlton, Mass.) found Kennedy for a goal that gave Springfield College a 3-1 advantage with 9:10 to play in the half.

Springfield College would take a 4-1 lead into the halftime break after an unassisted strike from Kennedy with 1:30 to play in the stanza. Opening the second half's scoring, Low would convert for her first-career goal, before Conley buried a penalty stroke with 16:52 to play to give the Pride a 6-1 lead. 

Next up, Springfield College will travel to St. Joseph's of Maine on Wednesday, September 20 and will play at 4 p.m.