DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Castleton field hockey team was back in action Saturday morning but came up short in their return to conference play, losing 4-1 to the Corsairs away from home.
 
It was the Spartans' (2-4, 1-1 LEC) Emily Harris who struck first, capitalizing on her lone shot of the quarter to give Castleton the 1-0 advantage nine minutes in. Coming off a pass from Kaitlin Bardellini, the sophomore air dribbled the ball around two defenders and into UMass Dartmouth's circle before scooping the ball up and over the Corsairs' defense and into the back of the cage. Harris has now scored in four of her past five games, leading the team with eight on the year.
 
After the first quarter the offense came to a halt for the Spartans, getting just one shot off in the next two frames while UMass Dartmouth's Kylie Dias snuck two past Castleton keeper Hannah Frittenburg to give the Corsairs (2-5, 1-1 LEC) a lead they would not relinquish.  
 
The Spartans showed signs of life in the final quarter, getting off four of their six shots and taking all four of their corners in the period, but could not find paydirt. Instead, it was UMass Dartmouth doubling their lead, with goals scored by Hannah Steen and Brittany Perry to make it a 4-1 game and seal the victory for the Corsairs.
 
Fouls plagued both teams in this one, with Castleton racking up 36 compared to 29 for UMass Dartmouth, but the difference was capitalizing on those fouls, with the Corsairs turning two Spartan penalties into successful goal-scoring opportunities while Castleton converted on just one that resulted in their lone goal of the game.
 
The Spartans have a quick turnaround after this one, as they are back in action Sunday Sept. 19 to host Skidmore College. The game will be played at Dave Wolk Stadium, with first pass scheduled for 2 p.m.