PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) scored her 200th career goal, but second-seeded Western Connecticut State University used a 10-0 surge in the second half to rally past top-seeded Plymouth State University, 17-9, in the championship game of the Little East Conference (LEC) Women's Lacrosse Tournament at Panther Field on Saturday.
Donovan's milestone capped a 5-0 spurt late in the second quarter as the Panthers erased an early deficit to take a 6-3 lead. WestConn would score once more to pull within 6-4 at halftime, then tied the game with two goals in the first four minutes of the third quarter.
PSU scored three of the next four goals to build a 9-7 lead with 6:36 left in the third, but the Wolves responded with three straight tallies to carry a 10-9 advantage into the final quarter. WestConn scored seven unanswered goals in the fourth to pull away.
Plymouth State (15-3) was seeking a third consecutive LEC title but will now await word on a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The full bracket will be revealed during the selection show on Monday (May 5) at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com. WestConn improves to 16-2 and claims the LEC's automatic berth to the tournament.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 9, WestConn 17
- Plymouth State (15-3)
- WestConn (16-2)
How it Happened:
- Junior Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) gave PSU an early lead less than two minutes in, but the Wolves responded with three straight goals.
- Senior Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) and graduate student Elle Moshier (Stratford, Conn.) answered late in the first quarter to knot the game at 3-3.
- Graduate student Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) finished a beautiful feed from Donovan early in the second to put PSU up, 4-3.
- Cunningham scored midway through the frame, and Donovan's milestone tally with 5:26 remaining made it 6-3.
- WestConn got one back before the break to cut the lead to 6-4.
- The Wolves scored twice in the opening four minutes of the third to even the score, but Cunningham and Gaspa answered to push the Panthers back in front, 8-6.
- WestConn quickly responded just 27 seconds later, though senior Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) restored the two-goal lead at 9-7 with 6:36 left in the third.
- That would prove to be the Panthers' final goal, as WestConn closed the quarter with three straight goals and outscored PSU 7-0 in the fourth to seal the win.
By the Numbers:
- Donovan becomes just the second player in program history to reach 200 career goals, joining Hall of Famer Katie Sheridan '05. She finished with one goal, one assist, and one caused turnover.
- Cunningham tallied three goals and two ground balls.
- Gaspa contributed two goals, two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two draw controls.
- Stowell led the Panthers with six draw controls, extending her program record to 461.
- Moshier added a goal and three draw controls.
- Senior Margie Black (Longmeadow, Mass.) finished with six saves.
- WestConn held a 23-18 advantage in shots on goal, including a 10-1 edge in the fourth quarter.
- Plymouth State won the ground ball battle, 13-10.
- The Panthers were making their 11th consecutive appearance in the championship game.
- This marked the fifth straight postseason meeting between the two programs, with four coming in the title game.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State will await a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show airs Monday (May 5) at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com.
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