KEENE, N.H. – In its first game of the 2023 season at the Owl Athletic Complex Tuesday, the Keene State College men's lacrosse team fell to Western New England University 23-12.
Records
- Keene State: 0-2
- Western New England: 1-0
Postgame Interview (Coach Theriault)
How it Happened
After falling behind 1-0 early in the first quarter, the Owls responded just over a minute later when junior attacker
Andrew Miller shook off a defender before firing a strike from the side of the net to tie the game at one at 13:18. Keene State would continue to battle Western New England in a mix of rain and snow throughout the first half. Down 3-1, sophomore midfielder
Jeff Wiedenfeld sprinted towards the goal area before he scored his first goal as a member of the Owls to make it 3-2 WNE at 10:44 in the first.
The Golden Bears then scored nine unanswered goals to take an 11-2 lead in the 2nd quarter. Miller then tallied two more goals before junior midfielder
Colby Quiet added another goal to make it 11-5 WNE at 5:46. Sophomore midfielder
Giacomo Tedone would record his first goal of the season for the Owls with 33 seconds remaining in the quarter, as the Owls would enter halftime down 15-6.
After scoring two goals in the season opener at Endicott College on Saturday, Feb. 18, senior attacker
Cooper Cioffi put up his third goal of the season at 13:10 in the third quarter to make it 16-7 Golden Bears. Senior midfielders
Nathan Sickles and
Max Thurston each scored a goal later in the frame. Then, in the final seconds of the quarter, Quiet had one of the biggest highlights of the contest. With his team down a man, Quiet won a faceoff with 12 seconds remaining in the quarter, collected a ground ball and eventually sprinted down the field before scoring with only half a second remaining. Keene State would enter the fourth quarter down 21-10.
The KSC defense would finish the day strong, only allowing two goals in the final frame. Sickles would get his second goal of the game with his team up a man at the 11:01 mark. Sophomore attacker
Connor Woods, who was credited with his first assist of the season for that tally, then scored the last goal of the day for the Owls at 5:12. Senior attacker
Ben Wright got his first assist of the season on that play.
Western New England would prove to be too much for the Owls. The preseason favorites to win the Commonwealth Coast Conference got four goals and six assists from senior midfielder Dylan Hanley, as well as four goals apiece from sophomore attacker Jack Houlden and graduate midfielder Noah Rust. Senior midfielder Brian Madden added three goals for WNE.
Inside the Crease
- Miller's four goals are the most he has scored in his first two games of a season in his collegiate career.
- Aside from his two goals, Sickles also added two assists to his stat sheet. He assisted Miller's second goal and Quiet's first goal, both of which came in the second quarter. He now leads the team with three assists this season.
- Wright also finished the game with two assists.
- Junior goalkeeper Charlie Giuliotti made 11 saves for Keene State.
Up Next
The Owls have more than a week off before returning to the field on Wednesday, March 1 at home against Vassar College at 5 p.m. at the Owl Athletic Complex. Western New England will return home on Saturday, Feb. 25 to take on the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at 3 p.m.
