KEENE, N.H. – Smith College trailed 14-12 with 6:37 left in the third, but held the Keene State College women's lacrosse team scoreless over the final 21:37 and ended the game on a 6-0 run in the final 13:05 to post an 18-14 win over the Owls on Tuesday night at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Records

• Keene State:  4-1
• Smith:  3-3

Postgame Interview (Coach Wyant)

How It Happened
Keene State seemed to be in control of the game, turning a 5-3 deficit late in the first quarter into an 11-6 lead with 5:10 left in the second as they picked apart the Pioneers' defense, but they scored just three more times in the remainder of the contest as they suffered their first loss.  Smith battled back from their five-goal deficit to tie the game at 12 just 54 seconds into the second half, but KSC answered with goals from Tess Brown and Mindy St. Marie to retake a two-goal lead about eight minutes later.  The Owls carried that same lead into the final 15 minutes, but it was all Pioneers in the fourth including five goals out of six scored by Gia and Jennie Arancio, who combined to score nine in the game.  Gia Arancio finished with a game-high five goals on only five shots.  Jennie Arancio and Caroline Sanders each had four for the Pioneers, who had not scored more than 11 goals in a game entering the night and had been held to five total in two previous losses to No. 20 Williams College and Connecticut College.  They were averaging 7.6 goals per game this season.

Brown finished with four goals and four assists to pace KSC's offense, continuing to be one of the Owls' biggest threats.  She also added eight ground balls, eight draw controls, and seven caused turnovers.  Brown scored three times in the Owls' nine-goal second quarter, including consecutively early in the period to put KSC back in front (6-5), where they mostly remained until the fourth.  Haile Ratajack also scored four times and Mindy St. Marie three, but the Owls were 0-for-5 on free position shots including a pair early in the fourth quarter while holding a one-goal (14-13) lead.  Riley Devine's was saved by Brooke Testa with 12:12 to go, and two minutes later St. Marie fired a try wide.  The missed chances proved costly when Smith scored twice in 31 seconds with less than eight minutes to go to jump in front 15-14.  KSC had only three shots in the final 15 minutes after having 22 over the opening three quarters including 11 in the second.  The home team was also hampered by a season-high 30 turnovers.

Mabelle Bessette made seven saves for the Owls in the loss.  Testa played the final 37:39 and made six saves while allowing just five goals after Shannon Houtenville allowed nine without a save in 22:21.

Inside the Crease

• It was KSC's first loss in four meetings vs. Smith.  The Owls won the previous encounter between the teams by nine goals in 2010 (18-9).
• Brown and Ratajack have combined for 61 caused turnovers in five games.
• Brown leads the Owls in points with 32 (21 goals, 11 assists) after a 34-point season (26-8) in her rookie campaign.  She has scored at least four goals in four of five games this season.

Up Next

• Keene State is off until traveling to Panama City Beach, Fla. for the SpringFling next week.  They take on Framingham State University (3-2) on March 20 at 11:00 a.m. ET before a matchup against Worcester State University the following day.
• Smith hosts Mount Holyoke College (0-5) in a NEWMAC contest on Friday (March 15) at 6:00 p.m.