'KEENE, N.H. 04/1/06 - Senior midfielder Lauren Saunders (Fremont, N.H.) scored a career-high seven goals to lead the Keene State College women's lacrosse team to a 18-11 Little East Conference victory over UMass-Dartmouth at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. It was the LEC opener for both teams.

Keene State improves to 2-5 (1-0 LEC). UMass-Dartmouth drops to 2-3 (0-1 LEC).

Keene State scored the first five goals of the game on the way to building a 10-4 halftime lead.  Saunders scored four of her goals in the first half.

The Corsairs netted three of the first four goals in the second half to cut the Owls lead to 11-7 on a goal by Katelyn Elliot (Lowell, Mass.) at the 17:56 mark of the half.  KSC regrouped and scored a pair of goals to push its lead back up to six (13-7).

Colleen Murphy (Mansfield, Mass.), Kristal Lundegaard (Babylon, N.Y.) and Stephanie Georgevits (Concord, N.H.) added three goals each for KSC.  Lundegaard also picked up five assists.

Elliot scored five goals and Katelyn Sullivan (New Bedford, Mass.) finished with three goals for the Corsairs.  Marie Spang (Wakefield, Mass.) had four assists.

Mandy Gray (Sharon Mass.) (four saves) and Jen Gearing (Westfield, Mass.) (three saves) both saw action in goal for KSC.  Erin Doherty (West Newbury, Mass.) made eight saves for UMD.

Both team return to action on Wednesday.  Keene State hosts Bridgewater State  (4 p.m.) while UMass-Dartmouth host R.I.  College (4 p.m.).