NEWTON, Mass. – Senior
Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) and junior
Sammy Murphy (Harrisville, R.I.) scored three goals apiece as Plymouth State University defeated the University of Massachusetts Boston, 11-9, to secure a home playoff game in Little East Conference (LEC) women's lacrosse action at Alumni Field on Saturday.
Plymouth State built a 5-0 lead over the first 20 minutes and maintained at least a three-goal cushion into the fourth quarter. UMass Boston pulled within two on multiple occasions in the final frame, but PSU answered back and held on for the win.
Plymouth State finishes the regular season at 7-9 (4-4 LEC) in a three-way tie for fourth in the conference standings. The Panthers own the tiebreaker to secure the No. 4 seed and will host fifth-seeded UMass Boston in a first round game on Tuesday (Apr. 28) at 6 p.m.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 11, UMass Boston 9
- Plymouth State (7-9, 4-4 LEC)
- UMass Boston (6-11, 4-4 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Caroline Purcell (Lake Placid, N.Y.) opened the scoring midway through the first quarter, and Murphy doubled the margin late in the frame as PSU took a 2-0 lead.
- The Panthers opened the second with three goals in a five-minute span – one each from freshmen Olivia Thibert (Dighton, Mass.) and Karina Bosco (North Dighton, Mass.), and Purcell – to extend the margin to 5-0.
- The Beacons broke through 20 seconds later, but Cunningham answered to make it 6-1.
- UMass Boston converted a free-position attempt late in the frame to cut the deficit to 6-2 at halftime.
- The teams traded goals throughout the third quarter, with Murphy, freshman Evelyn Goudreau (Topsham, Maine) and Cunningham scoring for the Panthers as PSU carried a 9-5 lead into the fourth.
- UMass Boston scored consecutive goals to cut the deficit to 9-7 early in the fourth.
- Cunningham halted the momentum, but the Beacons responded 30 seconds later to make it 10-8 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
- Murphy completed the hat trick to give PSU some insurance, and the Panthers held on for the win.
By the Numbers:
- Murphy and Cunningham scored three goals apiece, while Purcell added two.
- Freshman Paige Carrow (Mansfield, Mass.) collected a game-high six ground balls, while classmate Grace Hoover (Salem, N.H.) recorded three ground balls, two caused turnovers and two draw controls.
- Plymouth State owned a 24-12 advantage in shots and went 17-for-21 on clears.
- The Beacons finished 9-for-20 on clears and committed 23 turnovers.
- PSU won the ground ball battle, 24-12.
Up Next:
- The teams will meet again on Tuesday (Apr. 28) in the first round of the LEC Tournament, with fourth-seeded Plymouth State hosting fifth-seeded UMass Boston at 6 p.m.
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