CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton field hockey team took an early lead in their matchup against Westfield State but were unable to hold on, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Owls at home Saturday night.
 
For the seventh straight game it was the Spartans (6-10, 4-6 LEC) scoring the game's opening goal, and for the 24^th time this season the goal came from Emily Harris.
 
Off a penalty call in the 13^th minute of the opening quarter, Haley Corlew sent a hard pass toward Kaitlin Bardellini who was waiting in the circle. Doing her best to hold off the Westfield State defender on her back, the captain got possession of the ball and quickly laid it off to a charging Harris. The sophomore took a touch inside before backhanding the ball up and over the Owls' goalie and into the top corner of the cage to make it a 1-0 game.
 
Castleton kept the pressure on in the second quarter, getting two penalty corners and three shots on goal in the first five minutes, and would eventually double their lead on Harris' second goal of the afternoon.
 
With 5:56 left on the clock, Bardellini gained possession of the ball at midfield. Using her strength to her advantage, the junior would take the ball from nearly sideline to sideline before entering the circle and ripping a shot toward the cage. Waiting for the shot in perfect position was Harris, who got her stick in the air to redirect the ball and sneak it past Westfield's keeper for her second goal of the day.
 
Harris' goal tally is up to 25 on the year and stands alone as the most in the nation. With two regular season games left she sits just two goals shy of the Spartans' all-time, single-season goal record of 27 set in 2012. Bardellini's 10 assists on the year also represent a new career-high and place her at sixth on Castleton's single-season record list.
 
The Owls (9-7, 8-2 LEC) would get a couple chances as the half expired, but some excellent defense by the Spartans kept the lead at two heading into halftime.
 
Momentum shifted to Westfield's favor in the third, and they would score on their third shot attempt of the period to cut Castleton's lead in half. Both sides traded blows the remainder of the quarter but the defenses stood tall, keeping the Spartans up 2-1 heading into the final frame.
 
The pressure the Owls applied in the fourth would prove too much for Castleton, and Westfield would score two more unanswered goals, including the game-winner with under two minutes to play, to complete the comeback and hand the Spartans the 3-2 loss after a promising start.
 
Castleton's next game will be on the road as the team travels to New Hampshire to take on Keene State Tuesday, Oct. 26. First pass is set for 6:30 p.m.