UNION, N.J. (9/10/13) – Laura Cheatham scored late and the Kean University field hockey team held Vassar College without a second-half shot to post a 1-0 victory over the Brewers on Tuesday. The Cougars are now 5-0 on the year and have allowed just one goal all season.

Kean's best scoring chance of the half came in the final minute. Bridgette Bottinelli crossed a pass to Korri Thompson on the left side of the cage, but the reigning NJAC Player of the Week's shot rang off the post.

Earlier in the first period, the Brewers had four successive shots from within five yards, but Cougar goalkeeper Katie DiCarlo stopped two and senior back Diane Boccella (pictured left) earned a pair of defensive saves on the third and fourth to keep the first half scoreless for both sides.

Kean took 12 shots to the Brewers' four and earned five more penalty corners in the first 35 minutes. At one point Vassar led four shots to one, but Kean took 27 of the game's remaining 28 shots.

The Cougars truly dominated the second half (shots were 15-0), but for a while it seemed as though Vassar goalie Maggie Brelis was going to withstand the bombardment and send the game to overtime.

In the 57th minute, the Cougars earned one of their 19 penalty corners on the night. Cheatham, who had just recently switched to initiating the Kean corners, sent the pass in to Julie Knodt. Knodt's subsequent drive was hard and low back in Cheatham's direction, and the sophomore tipped it in for what would prove to be the only goal of the night.

The Kean defense – Marissa Montano, Stephanie Rios, Boccella and Knodt - did not allow a shot in the second half and strangled any hope of a Vassar comeback to post their third-consecutive shutout and the team's fourth in five games.

The Cougars will return to Alumni Stadium to host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday at 5 p.m.