Field makes 15 saves in win for Panthers

            PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman goalie Lorin Field (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) made 15 saves Saturday afternoon, including 10 in the second half, as Plymouth State University defeated Rhode Island College, 13-5, in the Little East Conference women's lacrosse opener for both schools at the RIC Lacrosse Field.

            The Panthers overcame a slow start, surrendering three goals to the host Anchorwomen in the first two minutes of the game.  PSU pulled it together and held RIC scoreless the next 40 minutes while the Panther offense tallied 11 unanswered goals, eight in a row to close out the first half and then the first three after the break.  Plymouth State moved back over the .500 mark at 3-2 overall, while RIC dropped to 3-3.

            Sophomore Caitlin Swanson (Holderness, N.H./Plymouth Regional) scored a game-high four goals and added one assist to lead the Panther offense.  Junior Jenn Foley (Tewksbury, Mass.) tallied three goals and freshman Mekenna Bay (Maracaibo, Venezuela) added a pair.  Freshman Emily Buckle (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Amanda Richardson (Bradford, N.H./Kearsarge) contributed a goal and two assists apiece.

            RIC scored the first three goals in a 45-second span to take a 3-0 less than two minutes after the opening draw.  Jessalyn O'Neil scored the first goal and Ashley Signoriello added two more just 23 seconds apart.  That would end up as all of the RIC offense for quite a while.

            The Panther comeback started 10 minutes later when Foley scored back-to-back goals to put PSU on the board.  Swanson and Bay added two goals each in a six-minute stretch, and Buckle and Richardson finished off the first half scoring with the Panthers owning an 8-3 lead.

            Sophomore Marie Lander (Ossipee, N.H.) opened the second-half scoring for PSU and Rogers and Swanson each tacked on another to extend the PSU margin to 11-3 with 20 minutes to play.  Swanson and RIC's Suany Almonte traded goals midway through the second half, and Foley and RIC's Cassy Arines exchanged markers with two minutes to play to wrap up the scoring.

            RIC finished with a 28-27 advantage in shots, while PSU was up 21-18 in ground balls, led by four from junior Nora Regan (West Hartford, Conn.).  Draw controls were tied at 10 apiece.

            Plymouth State returns to actions with a make-up game Wednesday at Worcester State University (4:00 p.m.)

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