PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Crosby Fay (Waterville Valley, N.H.) scored 2:52 into overtime to help Plymouth State University outlast Keene State College, 9-8, in a Little East Conference men's lacrosse game at Panther Field on Friday night.
With the win, Plymouth State establishes a new program record for wins in a season and secures the third seed for next week's LEC Tournament. The Panthers will host sixth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday (May 2) at 5:00 p.m.
Fay finished the night with five goals, including the 100th of his career, to help PSU topple the Owls for the first time since the 2001 season and snap a 25-game losing streak to the in-state rivals.
Junior
Owen McNichols (Manchester, N.H.) made 11 saves in the victory, including several outstanding stops to snag the win, matching the school record for goalie wins in a season with 12.
Plymouth State got out to a hot start to grab a 3-1 lead after the first quarter. The Owls responded with a 5-0 run in the second to take the lead, but PSU responded with back-to-back goals by the end of the half to head into the break trailing by just one, 6-5.
Fay scored the game's three third period goals, but Keene State scored twice in the fourth period, including the game-tying tally with less than five minutes remaining, to force the overtime session.
McNichols made a pair of game-saving stops before the Panthers converted a successful clear. Following a timeout, Fay caught a pass on the left side and fired a shot through the legs of the Keene State goalie for the win.
Plymouth State improves to 13-3 and ties a school record with six conference victories (6-2 LEC). Keene State slips to 8-6 and 6-2 in the LEC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 9, Keene State 8 (OT)
- Plymouth State (13-3, 6-2 LEC)
- Keene State (8-6, 6-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Riding the momentum of a huge home crowd, the Panthers struck first when sophomore Ryan Jones (Tolland, Conn.) beat the KSC goalie less than three minutes into the game. Senior Mike Fleury (Lebanon, N.H.) followed with a man-up goal four minutes later to make it 2-0.
- The Owls countered with 6:44 left in the opening frame, but Fay answered less than a minute later and the 3-1 lead would hold through the end of the quarter.
- Keene State regrouped after the break, scoring five goals in a nine-minute span to go in front, 6-3.
- Senior Nick Drew (Chelmsford, Mass.) stopped the run and Fleury found the back of the cage moments later to make it 6-5 at the half.
- Fay tied the game 1:07 into the third quarter, then scored the 100th goal of his career midway through the frame for the lead. He added a man-up goal in with 2:34 left for an 8-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
- Keene made it a one-goal deficit 3:26 into the fourth and eventually pulled even with just 4:24 left in regulation.
- The Owls won the overtime faceoff and fired a pair of close-range shots, but McNichols deflected the first and stopped the second before pouncing on the loose ball.
- PSU cleared and took a timeout to set up the offense before junior Nolan Burke (Worcester, Mass.) found Fay for the game winner.
By the Numbers:
- Fay finished with five goals, bumping his season total to 55, and added three caused turnovers.
- Burke stuffed the stat sheet with three assists, four ground balls and two caused turnovers, while senior Jake Dolcimascolo (Georgetown, Mass.) added a pair of helpers.
- Fleury also had a multi-point game with a pair of goals.
- Sophomore Leaf Charbonneau (Grafton, Mass.) scooped up a game-high seven ground balls, while sophomore Matt Miner (Chelmsford, Mass.) added five.
- The PSU defense was outstanding, registering 11 caused turnovers.
- McNichols made 11 saves to pick up his 12th win of the year, tying Chris St. George for the most in school history. St. George reached the mark in 2015.
- Plymouth State held a 40-31 edge in shots and won the ground ball battle by a 33-22 margin.
Up Next:
- The third-seeded Panthers host sixth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State in the first round of the LEC Tournament on Tuesday (May 2) at 5:00 p.m. Plymouth State won the regular season matchup, 14-5.
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