T&T’s Saarah Olton scored the opening goal but her Long Island University could not hold onto the lead and fell 3-1 to Fairfield in the Northeast Conference Hockey Championship at Staten Island in New York, earlier this month.
The LIU team which also featured two other Olton sisters in Samantha and Kaitlyn as well as Felicia King, all T&T senior women’s hockey team players scored on their first penalty-corner attempt of the match, with Saarah converting off a pass from Emma Braeckmans in the second minute.
However, Fairfield hit back in the second half with three goals in ten minutes to close out the game for the win as LIU ended as tournament runner-up for the second season in a row.
With the loss, the LIU Sharks finished the 2021 season with a 7-11 overall record, and 4-3 in the NEC.
Despite the loss, Olton sisters, Saarah and Samantha were named to the All-Tournament Team along with team-mates Rachel Vellis.
In the semifinals, third-seeded LIU blanked second-ranked Wagner, with Samantha and Saarah both involved in the opening goal in the 2-0 win while the Stags beat Rider 2-1 in the first semifinal, and ended 8-0 in the NEC.
For her exploits this season the Morvant-born King, a former South East Port-of-Spain Secondary student, along with LIU teammates Sammy Bell and Vellis was honoured by the NEC, earning Second-Team All-NEC honours.
It was the third such honour for Bell and the first for both Vellis and King.
King ended the season with five goals, including three game-winners, and a team-high four assists.