PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) scored four times and classmate
Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) notched five points as Plymouth State University got past Keene State College, 16-14, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's lacrosse game at Panther Field on Saturday afternoon.
Keene State got out to a 3-1 lead over the first five minutes, but the Panthers answered back to even the game at 4-4 after one.
PSU used a 5-0 run to start the second quarter to build a lead it wouldn't relinquish. The Owls pulled to within one, 12-11, to end the third quarter, but senior
Amelia Thomas (Hopkinton, N.H.) and junior
Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) quickly restored the three-goal lead early in the fourth.
KSC again closed the deficit to one, 14-13, with seven minutes to play, but Donovan beat the Owls' goalie with 3:34 left on the clock and Thomas added an insurance goal less than two minutes later. Keene State added a tally with a minute left to account for the final score.
Plymouth State improves to 8-6 (3-2 LEC), while the Owls dip to 9-5 (3-2 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 16, Keene State 14
- Plymouth State (8-6, 3-2 LEC)
- Keene State (9-5, 3-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Donovan got the scoring started just 40 seconds in, but the Owls answered with three straight for a 3-1 lead after five minutes.
- Hunt scored consecutive goals on feeds from senior Elle Moshier (Stratford, Conn.) to tie the game with 5:15 left in the first.
- Keene went back up with a woman-up goal late in the frame, but senior Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) answered with a woman-up goal of her own to make it 4-4 after one.
- Plymouth State scored five straight goals to start the second. Thomas recorded her first of the day three minutes in, and senior Tarryn O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.) and Donovan scored goals just 18 seconds apart to make it 7-4.
- O'Brien and Hunt followed with back-to-back goals in a 22-second span as the Panthers' lead grew to 9-4.
- Keene slowed the momentum, outscoring the Panthers by a 3-2 margin over the final five-plus minutes to pull within 11-7 at the half.
- The teams traded goals midway through the third until Keene State closed the frame with a 3-0 spurt to cut the lead to 12-11.
- Thomas and Stowell quickly gave the Panthers some breathing room with goals in the first two minutes of the fourth, but the Owls answered back with two tallies midway through the stanza to again pull within one, 14-13.
- Donovan netted a key goal, her 45th of the season, with 3:34 to play and Thomas added an insurance tally less than two minutes later.
- The Owls scored with exactly one minute left on the clock to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Hunt scored four times, snagged five draw controls and added two caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls.
- Donovan finished with three goals and two assists.
- Thomas (three goals), O'Brien (two goals, one assist) and Moshier (one goal, two assists) all posted three-point games.
- Gaspa posted game-highs of eight ground balls and four caused turnovers, while also chipping in five draw controls and a goal.
- Freshman Grace Campo (Chelmsford, Mass.) added three caused turnovers.
- Plymouth State held a 27-18 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Panthers were an efficient 15-of-17 in clear attempts, while Keene State was just 13-for-24.
- PSU finished 3-for-9 in free position attempts, while the Owls were 2-for-4.
- The physical game saw 12 combined green cards and five yellow cards.
- Plymouth State owns a 32-10 advantage in head-to-head matchups dating back to 1998. PSU has won each of the last ten meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts VTSU Castleton in the penultimate game of the regular season on Wednesday (Apr. 24). Opening draw is set for 4:00 p.m.
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