KEENE, N.H. – Sophomore
Crosby Fay (Waterville Valley, N.H.) had his ninth hat trick of the season and Plymouth State University played Keene State College even through the second half, but the Owls used a fast start to top PSU, 20-7, in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's lacrosse game at Owl Athletic Complex on Friday night.
In the regular season finale, Fay and the Panthers battled a strong defense in Keene State throughout the second half, being outscored by just a single goal (6-5) over the final 30 minutes. The Owls struck for 14 first half tallies, though, to earn the win.
Plymouth State now turns its focus to next week's LEC Tournament. The sixth-seeded Panthers (6-10, 3-5 LEC) will visit third-seeded Western Connecticut State University for a first round matchup on Tuesday (May 3).
Keene State moves to 11-4 and 7-1 in the Little East.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 7, Keene State 20
- Plymouth State (6-10, 3-5 LEC)
- Keene State (11-4, 7-1 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- Keene State flew out of the games to score six unanswered in the first quarter, then poured in another six goals over the first five minutes of the second quarter.
- Junior Nick Drew (Chelmsford, Mass.) and classmate Mike Fleury (Lebanon, N.H.) went back-to-back to get the Panthers on the board, but the Owls answered with consecutive tallies for a 14-2 lead at the half.
- Fay picked up his first of the evening midway through the third quarter, but the hosts answered with four straight for an 18-3 lead after three.
- PSU won the fourth quarter, outscoring the Owls by a 4-2 margin, as senior Riley Roy (Laconia, N.H.) and Fay each beat the KSC goaltender twice in the frame.
By the Numbers:
- Fay has at least three goals in six of the last seven games and leads the Panthers with 46 goals and 55 points.
- Roy scored twice and Fleury contributed a goal and two assists.
- Freshman Leif Charbonneau (North Grafton, Mass.) won 18-of-26 faceoffs and snagged a game-high 11 ground balls, while sophomore Jack Bonazzoli (Clinton, Mass.) added five ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.
- Sophomore Jessy Hirwa (Penacook, N.H.) made 10 saves in the second half in relief of classmate Owen McNichols (Manchester, N.H.), who stopped three shots in the opening 30 minutes.
- PSU own the ground ball battle by a 25-24 margin.
Up Next:
- Sixth-seeded Plymouth State travels to third-seeded WestConn for the first round of the LEC Tournament on Tuesday (May 3).
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