With 8:13 left in a double-overtime game, Emilie Keij scored off a penalty corner to raise the Massachusetts field hockey team’s 3-2 win against UAlbany. The goal secured a win in its first game of the season.

Keij’s goal came at just the right time for the Minutewomen (1-0), who had been battling back and forth to score a final goal, and capture a win.

After a scoreless first half, the Minutewomen held an advantage over the Great Danes (0-1) with six shots on goal to their two. Goalkeeper Myrte van Herwijnen stayed strong, blocking all shots on goal, leading them into the second half. Shots were fired by both Jess Beech  and Emily Crawford, but they were both challenged by UAlbany goalkeeper, Hannah Mangan.

The energy from the Minutewomen was high going into the second half of the game, and the spark to score was ignited.

Junior Dempsey Campbell opened the second half  scoring against goalkeeper Lara Behn with a high flying shot in the 32nd minute to put UMass up 1-0.  Freshman Kristy Leonard followed Campbell’s lead, scoring once more off a pass set up by sophomore Mia Smith, collecting her first collegiate goal and adding a tally to the board at the 37:36 mark. This start led the Minutewomen to a 2-0 lead early into the second half.

Feeling the heat, Charlotte Triggs put the Great Danes on the board off a stick stop, scoring her first of the day at 39:44. Both teams went back and forth, but UAlbany came back to make up the deficit later into the game, with Triggs scoring her second goal of the day with just a minute to spare, forcing overtime.

Campbell tried to make a play in the 64th minute of the day, during the first overtime, sending a rocket at Mangan, but was unsuccessful when scoring. UAlbany then tried to top UMass, with a shot on van Herwijnen sent in by Alison Smisdom. Overtime remained scoreless, and with the game tied 2-2, the teams were sent into double OT.

Van Herwijnen, Mali Herberhold, Keij, Alexa Collins, Beech, Claire Danahy, and Gabrielle Benkenstein started for UMass during the 7v7 second overtime. After each having one attempt on target, Keij sent the ball into the far-right corner, out of reach, ultimately ending the Minutewomen’s first match up of the year in a win.

UMass ended with 12 shots on goal to UAlbany’s seven, and this showed in its ability to secure a win in confidence.

The Minutewomen will go on to play at Quinnipiac on Sunday, August 27 for a 1:00 p.m. start.

Lucy Postera can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @lucypostera.