CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton field hockey team defeated the Southern Maine Huskies, 2-1 Thursday night, to move on to the Little East Conference championship game on Saturday.
 
The game-winning goal came with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Ava LaRoss sent a ball into the air and Emilee Higgins clipped a piece of it to bat it into the back of the cage to put the Spartans up 2-1.
 
The first 10 minutes of the first quarter were quiet until the Huskies' Emma Samson found the back of the cage to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Both teams had one more penalty corner opportunity to round out the first quarter, with neither side converting. The second quarter saw the Spartans get off the lone shot on goal, which was saved by Eleanor Folsom.
 
The Spartans opened the third quarter with three penalty corner opportunities, with none being successful, before the Huskies earned two of their own at the other end of the field. Zoe Martin made her fourth and final save of the night to keep the Spartans in the game and take the ball down the field. The Spartans were able to find the back of the cage with one second left in the quarter. Arianna Spiezio found the inside post of the far side of the cage to even the game at 1-1 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
The fourth quarter started with a Huskies penalty opportunity, which the Spartans blocked and took down to the other end of the field. The Spartans had four penalty corner opportunities before Higgins found the back of the cage for her sixth goal of the season to put the Spartans up 2-1.
 
The Spartans will host Keene State in the Little East Conference championship game at Dave Wolk Stadium on Saturday, November 9 at 5 p.m.