KEENE, N.H. – For the first time during the 2023 season, the Keene State College women's lacrosse team ended up on the winning side after defeating Massachusetts Maritime Academy 11-4 Sunday at the Owl Athletic Complex.
Records
- Keene State: 1-4
- Massachusetts Maritime: 2-3
Postgame Interview (Coach Wyant)
Postgame Interview (Haile Ratajack)
How it Happened
On a cold and windy day in the Monadnock Region, the Owls went ahead early and never looked back. Freshman midfielder
Tess Brown continued her strong rookie season after scoring with a shot in front of the net. Senior midfielder
Haile Ratajack recorded her first assist of the season on the play to give Keene State a 1-0 lead at 13:39 in the first quarter. Senior midfielder
Mindy St. Marie followed that up with her first goal of the game at 11:21. After Massachusetts Maritime scored its first goal of the day at 2:14, Brown closed out the frame with her second goal of the game at 34 seconds to extend Keene State's lead to 3-1.
With her team up a player, sophomore attacker and Keene, N.H., native
Kristin Leslie continued the scoring for the Owls in the second quarter with her first goal of the season at 12:02 in the second quarter. Ratajack, and sophomore attackers
Chase Gengras and
Lola Smith followed up with a goal each to make it a 7-1 game. KSC would ultimately enter halftime up 7-2.
St. Marie picked up goal number two for the day on a free position shot to put KSC up 8-2. Following a goal by Massachusetts Martime, Gengras and Ratajack each scored again, with junior attacker
Hannah Dworkin picking up an assist on both goals. Keene State would concede one more goal before St. Marie locked up her first hat trick of the season at 13:26 in the fourth quarter. This marked the seventh hat trick in St. Marie's collegiate career.
Keene State also won the game thanks in part to the play of freshman goaltender
Kara Moriarty. The Groton, Conn., native, who began the season as a defender, made six saves to win her first collegiate start in goal.
Inside the Crease
- This was the first all-time meeting between these two programs.
- Interim Head Coach Travis Wyant picked up his first collegiate coaching victory.
- Keene State set several season-high marks, including goals (11), assists (six), shots (34), shots on goal (23) and ground balls (34).
- Dworkin had a season-high three assists in the win. Those are the most assists from a Keene State player so far this season.
- After her hat trick, St. Marie now leads the Owls in goals with eight.
Up Next
With their four-game homestand behind them, Keene State heads back out on the road for their next three games. The first is on Wednesday at 7 p.m., at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. Massachusetts Maritime returns home to take on Nichols College on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
