KEENE, N.H. 4/12/12 – Senior Lauren Brown (Agawam, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal at the 11:33 mark and the Keene State College women's lacrosse team held on for a 9-8 non-conference win over MIT at Owl Athletic Complex on Thursday.

The Owls, who extended their winning streak to seven games (one shy of the school record set in 2009) and remain undefeated at home (5-0), improve to 9-2. With the victory, KSC Coach Katie Arsenault, now in her fourth season, is one win away from tying Emily Johnson's record for the most victories by an Owl women's lacrosse coach.  Johnson, who coached KSC from 2002-06 had 49 career wins.

Both teams traded goal runs in the first half.  Keene State scored three quick goals in a span of three minutes to take an early 3-0 lead.  MIT came back with three goals to tie the score.  Freshman Christa Demovellan (Westwood, Mass.) capped off a three goal spurt that put the Owls up 6-3 at the half.

The Engineers scored the first two goals of the second half cutting the Owls' lead to 6-5 on a goal by junior Molly McShane (Lake Bluff, Ill.).

Sophomore Ashley Borjeson (Londonderry, N.H.) broke through the MIT defense to score, giving KSC a 7-5 lead.  After KSC sophomore goalie Erin Taylor (Brewster, N.Y.) robbed sophomore Eric Du (Excelsior, Minn.) with a point-blank save, the Owls extended their lead to 8-5 when senior Sammi Benson (Hampstead, N.H.) found the back of the net, cutting in from the right side. 

Junior Laura Wacker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored consecutive goals to make it an 8-7 game.  Benson set up the game-winner for KSC, finding an open Brown going to the net to push the lead up to 9-7.  "I saw that Sammi was going to get doubled, so I just cut in and she gave me a great pass," said Brown about her second goal of the game.  "She creates so many opportunities."

"We practice that play all the time. I knew she was going to be there," said Benson, who finished the game with two goals and two assists.  

Clinging to a two goal lead, the Owls got a penalty that led to goal by Wacker that made it a one goal game (9-8) with 1:22 to play. Wacker finished the game with three goals for the Engineers.

After a MIT foul, Keene State got the draw control and ran out the clock to preserve the win. 

Keene State also got single goals from senior Caitlyn Corace (Mahopac, N.Y.), and sophomores Eliza Witherbee (Newburyport, Mass.) and Julie Trombetta (Trumbull, Conn.)

Senior Katie Kauffman (Olney, Md.) and McShane both had two goals and one assist in the game for MIT (2-11).

Taylor finished the game with four saves for the Owls.  Sophomore Sarah Ritter stopped 12 shots for the Engineers.

Both teams return to conference play on Saturday. The Owls will be at R.I. College for a LEC game. MIT travels to Springfield for a NEWMAC game.