KEENE, N.H. – Senior
Emily Santom (Litchfield, N.H.) outscored Keene State College on her own, as Plymouth State University grounded the Owls, 19-6, in a Little East Conference women's lacrosse game at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.
Plymouth State held a narrow 3-2 lead at the 7:47 mark of the first, but the Panthers ripped off four straight goals, including a pair from Santom, to take a 7-2 lead into the second quarter.
The teams traded goals, with Santom recording her third of the game just before halftime for a 9-4 lead at the break.
PSU pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Owls by a 6-1 margin in the third quarter to take a 15-5 lead and the Panthers never let up on the way to the win.
Plymouth State jumps to 6-4 (2-0 LEC), while Keene State slides to 3-8 (1-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 19, Keene State 6
- Plymouth State (6-4, 2-0 LEC)
- Keene State (3-8, 1-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Elle Moshier (Stratford, Conn.) opened the scoring just over two minutes into play, but the Owls responded a minute later.
- Senior Amelia Thomas (Hopkinton, N.H.) and junior Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) scored just seven seconds apart for a 3-1 lead, before Keene State answered.
- Plymouth State took control from there, using a 4-0 spurt to lead 7-2 after one. Sophomore Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) started the run with her 18th of the season, with Santom scoring twice and sophomore Maddie Hunt (Acton, Mass.) also finding the back of the cage.
- Donovan pushed the lead to 8-2 early in the second quarter ahead of back-to-back goals for the Owls. Santom gave the Panthers a 9-4 lead at the half with her third goal of the day with just over a minute remaining before the break.
- Santom and sophomore Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) scored consecutive goals to start the third before KSC cut the lead to 11-5 midway through the frame. It was all PSU from there, though, as Santom scored twice around goals from Donovan and Moshier to make it 15-5 heading into the fourth quarter.
- Santom capped her historic performance in the opening minute of the final period, with Stowell and Hunt adding goals for an 18-5 lead. Keene got one back, but Stowell scored in the final seconds to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Santom has scored seven goals on two other occasions, last spring in a win against Castleton and in a 2021 victory over UMass Dartmouth.
- Donovan and Stowell finished with three goals apiece, while Moshier and Hunt found the back of the cage twice.
- Thomas and Gaspa each chipped in a goal and an assist, while senior Olivia Croke (Norwell, Mass.) added three helpers.
- Thomas snagged a team-best four ground balls, while Gaspa had a game-high seven draw controls.
- Sophomore Margie Black (Longmeadow, Mass.) made five saves to earn the win.
- Plymouth State outshot the Owls by a 32-14 margin and were successful on 4-of-5 clear attempts.
- PSU won 19-of-28 draws, though the Owls had a slight 18-14 edge in ground balls.
- The Panthers' 19 goals were a season high.
- Plymouth State has won each of the last nine meetings and holds a 31-10 edge in the all-time series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns home to face the defending national champion, #1 ranked Middlebury College, on Tuesday (Apr. 11). Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
– 30 –
