NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--Fresh off their first league win of the season, the Smith College field hockey team (3-8) will take a break from NEWMAC competition when they host Western New England University (4-10) on Thursday afternoon.  The Pioneers and Golden Bears begin play at 4:00 p.m. 

Last Meeting:  Smith used a brace from Dari Goulden (Rutledge, Pa./Strath Haven) and the game winner from Allie Stein as Smith came from behind to earn a 3-2 win.  The Golden Bears took a 2-1 lead five minutes into the second half, but Goulden leveled the scores six minutes later, and Stein potted the winner with 10 minutes left in the game.

Smith Overview: Smith is coming off their first league win of the season, a 4-3 overtime win over Clark University.  The Pioneers took an early 2-0 lead, but Clark scored three second half goals to force the extra period.  Allie Stein (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) netted the final goal of her hat trick 6:17 into overtime to snap a 22 game league losing streak that spanned nearly three years.

Western New England Overview: The Golden Bears have had a topsy-turvy season, having lost their opening four games, before beating WPI and Salve Regina.  That brief flurry of wins was followed by four more losses, only to see WNE snap up victories over Nichols and Wheelock.  Those two wins have been followed by their most recent spate of losses, to Endicott and No. 20 University of New England. 

Smith Player to Watch: Sydney Burns (Woodbury, N.J./George School (Pa.)) has scored four goals this year, providing a valuable forward either off the bench or in a starting role for Smith. 

Western New England Player to Watch: Jaynie Mueller leads the team with six goals and an assist for 13 points, and has converted two penalty stroke chances.

Did you know? Western New England head coach Sarah Kelly is from Enfield, N.H., the same hometown as Smith co-captain Ashleigh King (Enfield, N.H./Mascoma).