'PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Seniors Bethany Brown (Norwich, Conn.) and Nicole Evans (Scituate, Mass.) combined for eight goals and six assists Thursday afternoon to lead Plymouth State University's women's lacrosse team to a 16-9 victory over rival Keene State College in a Little East Conference match-up at Arold Field.

            The Panthers, 6-5 overall, improve to 4-0 in LEC play, the only team this spring without an LEC loss.  The Owls, 4-7 overall, suffered their first conference setback (2-1).  PSU has defeated Keene State in all 13 career meetings.

Plymouth State scored the first two goals of the game and maintained the lead the rest of the way.  It was 2-1 midway through the first half and PSU went on to lead 9-4 at the break.  The Owls came back with four goals in the first seven minutes of the second half to cut the Panther lead to 11-8, but PSU rattled off the next four goals and cruised home with the win.

Brown scored a game-high five goals and added an assist for PSU, while Evans finished with three goals and a game-high five assists.  Juniors Meg Cupoli (Southboro, Mass.), Annie Pinault (Framingham, Mass.) and Caitlyn Irving (Avon, Conn.) chipped in with two goals apiece, and classmates Liz Boddy (Brentwood, N.H.) and Amanda Spadafora (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) scored once each.

The Owls were led by seniors Colleen Murphy (Mansfield, Mass.), Kristal Lundegaard (Babylon, N.Y.) and Lauren Saunders (Fremont, N.H.).  Murphy had two goals and two assists, Lundegaard added two goals and one assist, and Saunders finished with two goals.  Senior Alexandra Manzin (Avon, Conn.) contributed a goal and two assists, and sophomores Andrea Mitchell (Bow, N.H.) and Michelle Mazzotta (Cromwell, Conn.) scored once each. 

Both teams play LEC games this Saturday at 1:00p.m.; PSU visits Rhode Island College and Keene State returns home to host Western Connecticut.