DANBURY, Conn. – Junior
Emily Santom (Litchfield, N.H.) and freshman
Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) each scored twice, but top-seeded Western Connecticut State University got out to a hot start and never looked back, topping second-seeded Plymouth State University, 17-4, to capture the Little East Conference (LEC) women's lacrosse championship at Westside Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Wolves held PSU scoreless for the first 29 minutes, scoring the game's first 12 goals to cruise to the win. WestConn led 7-0 after the first quarter and Plymouth State was never able to challenge.
PSU, which was making its eighth straight appearance in the title game, ends its season with a 13-5 mark, while WestConn (15-4) earns back-to-back conference championships and the LEC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 4, WestConn 17
- Plymouth State (13-5)
- WestConn (15-4)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- WestConn set an early tone with a pair of goals in the first 1:15 of play and the hosts continued to attack, building a 7-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
- The Wolves continued to pressure the PSU defense, scoring five times in the second before Hunt got the Panthers on the board with her 27th goal of the season in the final minute of the half.
- After WestConn scored the first two goals of the third quarter, Santom netted back-to-back tallies to make it 14-3.
- Hunt put in her second of the afternoon in the final minute of play to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Santom's two goals give her a team-high 57 in just 16 games played.
- Hunt finished the season with a flurry, scoring six goals in the Panthers' two playoff games, to finish tied for second on the team with 28 tallies on the year.
- Senior Kaylee St. Laurent (Alfred, Maine) led Plymouth State with four ground balls and added two caused turnovers.
- Junior Amelia Thomas (Hopkinton, N.H.) finished with a team-best three caused turnovers and chipped in a pair of ground balls and a draw control.
- Sophomore Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) had three of the team's eight draw controls, while classmate Piper Sherbert (Freeport, Maine) totaled six saves.
- WestConn held a 28-14 advantage in shots, including 11-4 in the opening quarter. The Wolves have won each of the last four meetings.
Up Next:
- The game marked the end of the Panthers' season and the final contest for seniors Devon Mello (Laconia, N.H.), Emily Duffley (Plymouth, Mass.) and St. Laurent.
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