Box Score

KEENE, N.H.- In their first home game of the 2021 season, the number four seeded Keene State women's lacrosse team used the home field to their advantage as they outscored the number five seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors in both halves to propel the Owls 23-13 in the first round of the Little East Conference playoffs. Keene State was led by sophomore Jackie DeAngleis, who put on a show for the Owls scoring seven times and adding eight assists in the win for Keene. Senior Megan Gorham helped the Owls with four goals of her own and six points total on the night. KSC moves on to the LEC semifinals on Thursday with their win. 

Records

• Keene State: 6-3
• Eastern Connecticut State: 9-6

How it Happened
Jackie DeAngelis started off her career best night right away for the Owls as she was able to open the scoring for the Owls. DeAngelis netted the first goal on an assist from teammate Ali Daisy to give the Owls the 1-0 lead. Just 1:30 later, Eastern Connecticut answered the Owls goal with one of their own as Tristan Kijak scored to tie the game quickly back up. ECSU would take the lead, which ended up being one of their only leads of the contest by getting the next goal from Sydney Hogan. KSC and ECSU would exchange the next two goals in the game as Kijak and DeAngelis both found goals again for their teams. 
 
Keene State would score the next four goals in the contest to separate themselves from Eastern Connecticut. Freshman Hannah Dworkin scored in the sequence for the Owls, followed by two goals from Megan Gorham. Jackie DeAngelis picked up a goal and two assists in the four-goal span, giving the Owls the three-goal lead. Eastern interrupted Keene State's four goal run by getting themselves back in the game with two quick goals to cut Keene's lead to just a single goal. Eastern scored while a player up on a goal from Kijak, as well as Chloe Miller finding twine past GK Haley Terva for Eastern. Although giving up two goals, Keene State and Haley Terva stood strong and maintained their lead throughout the first half. Terva was able to make a stop on a free position attempt by ECSU to keep the lead for the Owls. Keene State would respond to Terva's big save by scoring the final five goals of the half. DeAngelis added three goals in the series with goals also coming from Haile Ratajack and Brigid Casey. KSC took a six-goal lead, 11-5 heading into the second half of play. In the first half, Keene took 23 shots with Eastern coming away with 11. Goalkeeper Sarah Gallagher made six saves in the half for Eastern, with Haley Terva making four on the other side of the field for Keene State. 
 
Eastern Connecticut would come out of the break and score the first three goals of the game, cutting Keene State's six goal lead in half. Three different goal scorers for Eastern, Shay Ventresca, Sydney Hogan, and Tristan Kijak helped get the Warriors back in the contest. Keene State wouldn't let the Warriors grab strangle hold of the contest after their mini three goal run to open the half. The Owls would go on to score the next five goals in the game, virtually putting the game out of reach for Eastern Connecticut. After the Kijak tally for ECSU, Brigid Casey netted her second of the night just 19 seconds after, followed by another Casey goal to give the Owls the 13-8 edge. Gorham, Daisy, and Dworkin would fine the back of the net with three assists coming from DeAngelis to put Keene State ahead by eight. 
 
In the final 15 minutes of the game, a total of 11 goals were scored, seven by Keene and four by Eastern Connecticut. With 10:49 remaining, Caroline Stent tallied her first of the game to bring Eastern within six goals. Keene State wouldn't allow Eastern to get any closer as the Owls blew the game open tallying the final six of eight goals in the game. KSC saw six different goal scorers the end the contest with Casey, Gorham, Ratajack, Daisy, DeAngelis, and Emma Goodridge scoring for the Owls. The number four seeded Owls would go on to defeat the number five seeded Warriors 23-13 to move on to the LEC semifinal game. In the half, both teams took 20 attempts towards goal with Terva coming away with seven second half saves and the duo of Gallagher and Nicole Gaston coming away with five combined saves for ECSU. 
 
Inside the Crease

• Jackie DeAngelis finished her night by scoring seven goals and picking up eight assists in the win for Keene State. The 15-point total is easily the highest of the career of DeAngelis, who had a previous high of six points that came earlier this season at Rhode Island College. Teammate Megan Gorham finished the night with four goals and two assists, good for six points, with Ali Daisy, Brigid Casey, and Hannah Dworkin all collecting five points apiece. 
• In the loss, Tristan Kijak came away with five of Eastern's 13 goals shooting seven times on net. Caroline Stent finishes her season with 56 goals on the season, netting two on the night for Eastern. 
• Keene State was able to outshoot the Warriors 43-31 in the contest, with both teams matching each other with 20 shots in the second half. ECSU turned the ball over 33 times in the game. 
• Both teams were successful in clear attempts with Keene State getting the better of the play going 18-20. Eastern Connecticut finished 24-28 in the contest.  Eastern was more effective on draw controls in the game, winning 20 to Keene State's 18. 
• Keene State played at home for the first time on the season, with their first eight games coming on the road due to construction of a new turf field. With the results from the earlier round one game in the LEC playoffs between #3 Plymouth State University and #6 Castleton University, Keene State will not be able to host the championship game should they advance due to seeding. Plymouth State trounced Castleton 21-2. 

Up Next

• #4 Keene State will travel to #1 Western Connecticut in the LEC semifinal game on Thursday, April 29 at 6:00 pm from the Westside Athletic Complex. Western Connecticut defeated Keene State 13-5 earlier this season in both teams' first LEC game of the year.
• The #5 seeded Warriors end their season with a 9-6 record, finishing 3-4 in LEC play.