Box Score

DANBURY, Conn. – The Keene State women's soccer team traveled to take on Western Connecticut State Thursday night, for the Semifinals of the Little East Conference Women's Soccer Tournament. The Wolves would take an early lead in the contest and not let off the gas, as they would defeat the Owls, 7-2, ending Keene State's 2023 season. 

Records

• Keene State: 10-4-7
• Western Connecticut State: 10-7-4

How it Happened

Western Connecticut State came out of the gates hot in the first 17 minutes of play, as they would get four shots on goal. After Keene State goalkeeper, Sonia Moritz, would stop the first three shots she faced, Myah Croze would open the scoring for the Wolves as Suzana Imetovski would set her up with a pass inside the Owls box and Croze would rocket a shot past Moritz, giving the Wolves an early 1-0 lead. Moritz would make a save on the next WCSU shot a few minutes later, followed by Keene State's first shot of the game, as Brynn Dickinson looked to even the game up at one apiece, but WCSU goalkeeper, Gracen Regan would make the save to preserve the Wolves lead in the 25th minute. Neither team would score the rest of the first half, although the Wolves would continue to apply the pressure as they would outshoot the Owls 8-1 in the final 20 minutes of the first half; Regan would make the save on the lone KSC shot, while Moritz would make a pair of saves and the Owls defense would block four shots, as  Alexa Skinner and Giuliana Stolfi would each block a shot and Rachel Souza would block a pair, to limit the Wolves lead to two heading into the half.
 
WCSU picked up right where they left off at the end of the first half, as they would get three shots off in the first 2:11 of the second half. After Moritz made a save 46 seconds into the second half, Myah Croze would send a shot on goal from the edge of the far side of the Owls' box, deflect off Moritz hand and into the back of the net for her second goal of the day. After scoring on her first shot in the first half, Imetovski would score on her seventh and final shot in the contest at the 47:11 mark, as she would weave through the KSC defense and bend a shot into the back of the net. The Owls would try to mount a comeback, but Regan would make a pair of saves on Riley Devine and Skinner, to preserve her shutout. WCSU added to their lead in the 55th minute as Adrianna Alfano would convert on a penalty kick. 11 minutes later, the Owls would score their first goal of the game as Dickinson sent a cross into the Wolves' box, but Casey Papp was unable to clear the ball, as the clear attempt would go right to Emily O'Connell, who fired the one-timer into the back of the net, past the new WCSU goalie, Kasey Donnelly, who came in for Regan in the 63rd minute. Donnelly would bounce back and make a pair of saves as the Owls tried to chip away at the Wolves' lead over the next five minutes. Mackenzie Sam netted the Wolves sixth goal of the game as she sent a shot from outside the near sideline of the Owls' box, up and over the arms of Moritz, with 13:50 left to play. Donnelly would make three saves in as many minutes, shortly before Sam would cross the ball from outside the box, nearly from the same location as her goal was scored from, into the box where Jordan Brieier would deflect the shot into the goal. O'Connell would pick up another point in the match as just a minute later, she would assist Joclynn Tyler, who would curve a shot around Donnelly for the Owls' final goal of the season.
 
Regan made four saves in 63 minutes in net for the Wolves, not allowing a goal, while Donnelly made five saves and allowed a pair of goals in the 27 minutes that she played. Moritz made seven saves in net, while allowing a career-high seven goals.
 
Inside the Box

• With the loss, Keene State has now fallen to the Wolves in the LEC Tournament in their four most recent meetings, coming in 2023, 2017, 2016, and 2015.
• Keene State finished the regular season with the No. 3 seed, their highest finish since 2019.
• The Wolves outshot the Owls 22-15, including 14-11 on shots on goal, and narrowly edged out KSC on corners, having five to three from the Owls. 
• The seven goals were tied for the most this season for the Wolves, after winning 7-0 against the City College of New York on October 9.
• Imetovski led all players with seven shots taken in the match and tied her teammates Alfano and Croze with having three shots on goal apiece.
• Imetovski finished with five points, coming from a pair of goals and an assist, while Croze finished with four points, coming from a pair of goals. Sam logged three points for the Wolves, while O'Connell led the Owls with three points, as they each logged a goal and an assist. O'Connell's assist gave her the lead for most assists in the 2023 season, finishing with 4.
• Moritz is now tied for 17th with 12 wins in program history, after posting a 7-2-6 record in net this season. Her eight shutouts this season rank 18th in program history, while she moves to 9th in program history in career shutouts, with 13.
• Skinner finished her career with the Owls going 3-3 on penalty kicks, tied for third in program history, and tied for second in a season, going 2-2 in 2023. 

Up Next

Keene State's season ends after a unique 2023 regular season. The Owls finished among the top in the nation for Division III with seven ties. After being chosen to place sixth in the preseason LEC poll, the Owls went undefeated in LEC play, going 3-0-5, finishing 3rd in the conference in the regular season.
Western Connecticut State will travel to take on Southern Maine on Saturday, November 4, at 3:00 PM for their next game, which is the Championship of the LEC Women's Soccer Tournament, with the winner getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.