GORHAM, Maine – Senior
Amelia Thomas (Hopkinton, N.H.) posted career-highs of seven goals and nine points as Plymouth State University marched past the University of Southern Maine, 18-10, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's lacrosse game at Hannaford Field on Tuesday afternoon.
PSU raced out to an 8-1 lead through the first 20 minutes of game action before the Huskies clawed back late in the second quarter. Junior
Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) and Thomas buried goals in the final 90 seconds of the second as the Panthers took a 10-5 lead into halftime.
USM pulled within 11-7 midway through the third quarter, but Thomas' fifth of the game sparked a 7-0 run to put the game out of reach. The hosts tacked on three late goals to account for the final score.
Plymouth State bumps up to 7-6 (2-2 LEC), while the Huskies slip to 5-6 (1-3 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 18, Southern Maine 10
- Plymouth State (7-6, 2-2 LEC)
- Southern Maine (5-6, 1-3 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Senior Tarryn O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.) scored 31 seconds in and then doubled the lead less than two minutes later.
- Donovan and Thomas followed with their first goals of the day to make it 4-0 after six-plus minutes of play.
- The Huskies answered to slow the momentum, but junior Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) capped the first quarter with a tally with just 12 seconds left on the clock as PSU led 5-1 after one.
- Thomas started the scoring just over a minute into the second quarter and Donovan netted consecutive scores as the lead grew to 8-1 with ten minutes until halftime.
- Southern Maine rallied, scoring fourth straight times over the next five minutes to make it an 8-5 game, but Donovan stopped the run with her 42nd of the year and Thomas made it 10-5 with less than 30 seconds before the break.
- The teams traded goals to open the third, with Thomas' fifth of the evening sparking a run of seven-straight PSU scores as the Panthers took complete control. Sophomore Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) notched a woman-up goal, while junior Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) also got into the scoring column during the streak.
- Stowell scored just before the third quarter expired for a 15-7 lead.
- Thomas and O'Brien extended the margin to 17-7 in the opening minutes of the fourth before Thomas capped her career day with 9:36 left to play.
- The Huskies added three late goals to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Thomas finished with career-bests of seven goals and nine points, while adding four ground balls and four caused turnovers to her stat line.
- Donovan added another four-goal game, while O'Brien posted three goals and an assist to go with three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Stowell snagged a game-high nine draw controls and scored twice and freshman Grace Campo (Chelmsford, Mass.) added three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Plymouth State held a 32-14 advantage in shots on goal.
- PSU went 15-for-17 in clear attempts and won the ground ball battle by a 25-12 margin.
- The Panthers converted 2-of-6 free position attempts.
- PSU has dominated the all-time series, winning 24-of-27 contests.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns home for a league game against Keene State on Saturday (Apr. 20). Opening draw is set for 2:00 p.m.
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