POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Senior Stephanie Palma (Manhasset, NY) scored the eventual game-winning goal in No. 6 Vassar field hockey's 2-1 victory over Western Connecticut State on Wednesday evening. Freshman Sam Kass (Ann Arbor, MI) also found the back of the net for her second score of the season.

The Brewers now move to 4-0, while the Colonials drop to 4-1 overall.

Vassar controlled the offensive possession, outshooting the Colonials 23-8 throughout the night. The Brewers kept the pressure on the Western Connecticut defense early, with Sam Plante (Watertown, MA), Grace Amell (West Hartford, CT), and Cristina Lopez (Timonium, MD) firing shots on Colonials' goalkeeper Neve Manion, who was able to turn them away. At 12:18 in the first, Palma inserted the penalty corner to the top of the circle. Lopez chipped the strong shot down the middle to take the 1-0 lead.

The Brewers kept moving, taking three penalty corner attempts in the final seconds of the first, but shots by Rylie Pope (San Diego, CA) and Heidi Zahnleuter (Clifton Park, NY) were deflected by the goalkeeper.

Vassar scored in similar fashion in the third when sophomore Carina D'souza (Mountain Top, PA) inserted the penalty corner to Kass at the top of the circle. Kass mimicked Palma to give Vassar the 2-0 advantage.

The Colonials netted a goal in the final minutes of the fourth when Jacalyn Doerwald attempted a cross from the left side of the circle. The pass was angled just right to slip into the goal for the score. With the game 2-1 at 54:47, did not allow another West Conn shot for the remainder of the game.

Senior Liz Rotolo (Lebanon, NJ) started in goal for Vassar and made three saves. Defenders Ally Aquilina-Piscitello (Lexington, MA) and Nikki Pollotta (Clarence, NY) each had a defensive save.

Vassar now faces their first road game of the season when they travel to Smith on Sat. Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.