RINDGE, N.H. 3/29/12 – Junior midfielder Lauren Brown (Agawam, Mass.) scored four goals, including the game-winner with 7:45 to play, as the Keene State College women's lacrosse team defeated Division II rival Franklin Pierce University, 9-8, at Sodexho Field on Thursday evening.

"We are all very pumped that that we are playing well," said KSC head coach Katie Arsenault. "We were outshot in the game, but we had possession of the ball a lot and even though our team is young I think they are playing better together every game."

Neither team had more than a two-goal advantage in the back-and-forth non-conference contest. Brown's 18 goal of the season came off a pass from sophomore Eliza Witherbee (Newburyport, Mass.) to give KSC the 9-7 lead.

Ravens freshman attacker Geena Franciosi (South Easton, Mass.) score to cut the Owls lead to 9-8 with 5:58 to play. With 3:23 left, Ravens junior Ashley Lamagdeleine (Westfield, Mass.) had a chance to tie the game, but KSC sophomore goalie Erin Taylor (Brewster, N.Y.) came up with one of her 13 saves to keep the Owls ahead, and run off with a 9-8 victory.

"That was a huge save for us," said Arsenault. "We have had a lot of low scoring games this year and that is a credit to our defense."

Senior defender Sarah Valacer (Townsend, Mass.) played solid in front of Taylor for the Owls, with three ground balls and two caused turnovers in the game. "Sarah (Valacer) made some big plays on defense for us," said Arsenault. "There were some fast-break opportunities that she slowed up and she really played well around the crease."

Early on in the game the Owls were having trouble mounting an offensive attack, as FPU outshot the Owls 17-10 in the first-half and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Witherbee's goal with 15:15 remaining put KSC on the scoreboard.

Brown scored three of her four goals in the second half, while Witherbee, who finished with three goals and an assist, scored twice and dished out her lone assist in the final period. "Lauren (Brown) and Eliza (Witherbee) have been doing a lot for us and not just scoring," said Arsenault. "In the second half they did a much better job of driving to the net."

Also earning multiple points for the Owls, juniors Nicole Curry (Hampstead, N.H.) and Lindsay McManus (Dover, N.H.) each had a goal and an assist in the victory.

FPU defender Mary Kate Stille (North Quincy, Mass.) had three assists and a goal for the Ravens, while senior Brianna Nash (Oceanside, N.Y.) had three goals. Senior goaltender Jillian Bolduc (Atkinson, N.H.) made eight saves and allowed nine goals in the losing effort.

The Owls return to the turf at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday, at 1 p.m. as they will open their Little East Conference schedule against Southern Maine. "The goal is always to host the LEC tournament so every conference win is huge," said Arsenault. "USM will be ready to play after we knocked them out of the tournament last year, so we have to be ready too."