SALEM, Mass. – In a game of firsts, the defense for the Keene State College men's lacrosse team shined on Saturday as the Owls defeated Salem State University 17-4 at Alumni Field. The four goals the Owls gave up are the fewest the team has allowed this season.
 
Records

• Keene State: 8-4, 6-0 LEC
• Salem State: 1-14, 0-6 LEC

 
How it Happened
Several players contributed for the Owls, as the team had a season-high 14 different goal scorers. The first two to show up on the scoresheet were junior midfielder Colby Quiet and sophomore midfielder Giacamo Tedone. Quiet was set up by sophomore attacker Rex Maccarini before firing in his 20th goal of the season at 13:10. Tedone followed with his ninth goal of the season at 11:57, with an assist from freshman midfielder Tim Souza. The Vikings got a goal back at 10:21, courtesy of senior midfielder Aristomenis Koumentakos. That is the closest the Vikings would get to catching the Owls.
 
Between the remainder of the first quarter and 10:55 remaining in the third quarter, Keene State scored the next 13 goals. Maccarini began the scoring streak with a goal at 5:45 in the first, before he assisted sophomore attacker Connor Woods' goal at 5:08. The second quarter featured the Owls scoring all eight goals in the frame. Five of them came in a span of 2:50. From the 11:49 mark to 8:59, senior midfielder Max Thurston, junior attacker Andrew Miller, senior attacker Cooper Cioffi, and sophomore midfielder Brendan DiSilva each scored, with Miller getting two goals. Maccarini picked up two assists, while freshman midfielder Sebastian Foresi and senior midfielder Ben Laliberte each had one. Laliberte's assist was the first of his collegiate career.
 
That was not the only first we would see in the game. At 7:17 in the second quarter, freshman midfielder Colin King scored his first collegiate goal in only his second career game. Miller helped with an assist on the play. Thurston and freshman attacker Jack Ansart each added a goal to end the first half, as the Owls took a 12-1 lead into halftime.
 
Ansart continued the scoring in the second half with a goal at 13:25 in the third quarter. Then came another first when sophomore midfielder Maxwell Leschen scored his first goal of the season and third of his collegiate career at 11:16. Senior attacker Ben Wright scored the final goal in the scoring run for the Owls at 10:55. Senior midfielder Lake Fleming scored Salem State's first goal since the opening quarter to make it 15-2 Keene State with 10:06 left in the third.
 
Keene State would get a few more firsts in the fourth quarter. At 13:39, sophomore attacker Connor Brown scored his first goal of the season, and third of his collegiate career. Following that, freshman attacker Jack Donovan, in his collegiate debut, scored his first career goal at 12:47. Salem State would add two more goals before time ran out, giving Keene State its seventh straight win.
 
Inside the Crease

• Keene State has an all-time record of 18-1 against Salem State, having won the last 15 games dating back to 2002.
• Four different players scored their first goal of the season for the Owls. 24 players have scored at least one goal for the Owls this season.
• Junior goalkeeper Charlie Giuliotti started in goal for the Owls, playing the entire first quarter, while freshman goalkeeper Andrew Wiegand stopped all three shots he faced in the second. In the second half, both freshmen Sam Giuliotti and Eli Standefer made their collegiate debut in goal. Standefer made three saves throughout the third quarter, while Sam Giuliotti made four saves in the fourth.
• As a team, Keene State set season-high marks in assists (15) and ground balls (45). The team also tied its season-high mark in points with 32. The Owls previously recorded 32 points in a 20-10 win against Eastern Connecticut State University on April 1.

 
Up Next
Keene State, who sits in first place in the LEC, begins its final week of the regular season with a game at second place Western Connecticut State University on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. If Keene State wins the game, it secures the top overall seed in the Little East Conference Men's Lacrosse Tournament. Salem State hosts Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Tuesday at 6 p.m.