Box Score

DANBURY, Conn.- The #4 seeded Keene State women's lacrosse team traveled to the top seeded Western Connecticut State University on Thursday evening to try to fight off the Colonials in the Little East Conference semifinal game.  The Owls were unable to hold off the number one seed in the conference, falling 11-8 from the Westside Athletic Complex. 
 
Records

• #4 Keene State: 6-4
• #1 Western Connecticut: 8-0

How it Happened
Keene State got off to the start they were looking for over the top seed as the Owls got the game's first goal to go up 1-0. After exploding for 15 points in the LEC quarterfinals, sophomore Jackie DeAngelis picked up right where she left off and made a pass to her teammate, senior captain Ali Daisy to open the scoring for KSC. After the goal from Daisy, both Keene State and Western Connecticut relied heavily on their goaltending before the next goal in the contest came. Both keepers, Haley Terva for Keene, and Anna Schimpf for Western made two saves each in six minutes to keep both teams off the board. Western Connecticut would get on the scoreboard with 19:05 to go in the game as Victoria Gracy scored her 21^st goal of the season. Gracy, who is second on her team in goals, would see a point on the next goal as well picking up an assist on the Alexa Riggio tally to give Western the lead. WCSU would go on to score the next five goals in the game to take a 5-1 lead over the Owls. After scoring just five minutes into the contest, Keene State was able to get their second goal of the game when Megan Gorham found Brigid Casey cutting towards goal to fire in a goal for KSC. Just over three minutes later, Keene State would score another goal, coming off the stick of Haile Ratajack, giving Keene State just a two-goal deficit. 
 
To close out the first half, Western Connecticut would score with 1:38 to go when Dominique DeMarsico netted a free position attempt to put WCSU up 6-3 heading into halftime. In the half, Western Connecticut took 22 shots, with Keene State taking just a half of that amount, coming away with 11. GK Haley Terva shined for the Owls, making 10 saves in the first. Western Connecticut won nine of ten draw controls and scooped 13 ground balls. 
 
Keene State, who is looking to get into the LEC Championship game for the first time since 2016 was unable to take control to open the second half as they saw Western Connecticut extend their lead by scoring the first two goals of the half.  Dominique DeMarsico and Alexa Riggio netted goals for Western in the opening five minutes of the second half to give the Colonials a five-goal lead. Keene State's leading goal scorer on the season, Haile Ratajack would find twine while a player up with 22:18 to go in the game to give the Owls some life. Ali Daisy would pick up her first assist of the game on the Ratajack goal. 
 
Although Keene State started to see the field tilt in their direction after the Ratajack goal, Western Connecticut wouldn't let the field tilt too far in the advantage of the Owls as WCSU scored the next two in the game putting all the pressure on Keene in the final 18 minutes of the game. While down 10-4, the Owls would respond with the next four out of five goals in the game, cutting Western Connecticut's lead to 11-8 with just less than five minutes to go in the contest. Goals from Ali Daisy, Brigid Casey, and Haile Ratajack gave the Owls their momentum back. Western Connecticut would pick up their defensive play and lock down the final five minutes of the game, not allowing Keene State to take a shot after they picked up their 8^th goal of the game. Haley Terva made one last save with 1:29 to go, but a loose ground ball was found and scooped by Western Connecticut, turning the shot clocks off, and turning the chances off for Keene State to move into the LEC championship game. The Owls fell just short on the evening, dropping the game to Western Connecticut 11-8. In the final half, Western outshot Keene 17-8, while draw controls heavily favored Western Connecticut in the half 9-2. 
 
Inside the Crease

• Keene State's top three scorers from the regular seasons scored all eight goals for the Owls in their semifinal defeat. Haile Ratajack netted three goals and picked one assist. Ali Daisy picked up two goals and two assists and Brigid Casey came away with the same numbers as Ratajack, three goals and one assist. Ratajack finishes the 2021 campaign with 37 goals and 10 assists. Ali Daisy finishes her season with 29 goals and 19 assists. The Owls leading point getter Brigid Casey ends the season with 33 goals and 22 assists, good for 55 points. 
• Western's Dominique DeMarsico ended the contest with a game high five goals while teammate Alexa Riggio scored four times. 
• The Colonials outshot Keene State in the game 39-19 and out dueled the Owls 18-3 on draw controls. 
• The Owls goalkeeper Haley Terva made 18 saves in the game, which was a season high. Terva played in every second of the season for the Owls in between the pipes. 

Up Next

• Keene State's season closes with a record of 6-4, with a 5-2 mark in LEC play. 
• Western Connecticut State will host the LEC Championship game on Saturday, May 1 against the #3 seed Plymouth State University, after the Panthers upset #2 Southern Maine earlier this evening 8-7 in OT. That game will be played at 2:00 pm from the Westside Athletic Complex.