'PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Sophomore Colleen Murphy (Mansfield, Mass.) finished with seven points on four goals and three assists Friday afternoon, leading second-seeded Keene State College past third-seeded University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 15-11, in the second semifinal of the Little East Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament at Plymouth State University's Arold Field.

The Owls, 11-4, advance to the LEC Championship game for the first time in the three years of the tournament.  Keene State will meet top-seeded Plymouth State Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Arold Field, as the Panthers came from behind to defeat fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University, 15-12, in the first semifinal. UMass Dartmouth saw its record drop to 10-6.

Murphy got plenty of offensive help from her teammates.  Seniors Natalie Kent (Billerica, Mass.) and Liz Maddocks (Essex, Vt.) scored three goals apiece, and junior Michelle Mason (Fairport, N.Y.) tallied two goals.  Sophomore Lauren Saunders (Fremont, N.H.) added a goal and two assists, and sophomores Kristal Lundegaard (Babylon, N.Y.) and Alex Manzin (Avon, Conn.) chipped in with one goal apiece.

Senior Megan Corfield (Framingham, Mass.) had a terrific game for the Corsairs, scoring seven goals and assisting on another.  Sophomore Katelyn Sullivan (New Bedford, Mass.) added two goals, and freshman Katelyn Elliott (Lowell, Mass.) and junior Kristine Johnson (Walpole, Mass.) scored once each.

Keene State scored three unanswered goals three times in the first half, surging to a 9-3 lead with 5:24 remaining.  UMD came back with three of the final four goals of the opening stanza, but trailed 10-6 at the break.

The Owls notched the first four goals of the second half to go up 14-6, but the Corsairs battled back with five unanswered goals, including three by Corfield, to pull to within three (14-11) with 3:51 on the clock.  But the Owls held off UMD, and added an insurance marker with 16 seconds remaining.

Senior goalie Liz Holland (Quincy, Mass.) was strong in the Corsairs net, making 17 saves.  Keene State senior Jamie Litch (Addison, Vt.) made five saves in the first half, and sophomore Mandy Gray (Sharon, Mass.) stopped six shots in the second half.

Saturday's LEC title game is a rematch of the Apr. 3rd match-up, when PSU defeated KSC 14-5 in Keene.  The Little East Tournament champion receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

(Courtesy PSU Sports Information).