PROVIDENCE, R.I. – After a close first half where the Keene State College women's lacrosse team took a one goal lead into the half over Rhode Island College, the Owls took control late in the third and fourth quarters, scoring nine unanswered goals to take a 15-5 win for KSC's first win on the season.
 

Records

• Keene State: 1-5 (1-0 LEC)
• Rhode Island College: 0-3 (0-1 LEC)

How it Happened


KSC's starting goalkeeper, Katelyn Nicotera, saved the first shot on goal early in the first quarter, but shortly after, Lily Ness scored to give RIC the 1-0 lead for the third time on the season in as many games. It did not take long for the Owls to respond as Tess Brown drew even for KSC 1:14 later on her 12th goal of the season. Giana Franco saves the next three shots that she saw in goal for the Anchorwomen, but six minutes later, Brown struck again to give the Owls their first lead of the day. The rest of the opening quarter Anna Maccarini had a pair of shots on goal, including one on a free position attempt, but Franco saved both shots to limit the Owls to a 2-1 lead heading into the end of the first quarter.
 
The Owls opened the second quarter with a goal 25 seconds into the action as Hayden Smith assisted Riley Devine for their first points of the day to put KSC ahead a pair. Franco responded with three saves over the next 9:56, including another free position save before the Anchorwomen responded with a pair of goals over 58 seconds to tie the game up at three apiece. 36 seconds after the Anchorwomen's tying goal, the Owls answered right back as Lola Varricchione assisted Helen Baxter on her second goal of the season to put KSC back ahead by one with 3:05 remaining in the first half. Neither team found the back of the net the rest of the first half as Franco made once more save to deny Brown the early hat trick and to hold the Owls' lead to just one heading into halftime.
 
Devine won the opening draw control in the third quarter and scored even quicker than she did to open the second quarter, as she put KSC ahead a pair once again with a goal 20 seconds into the second half. 4:46 later the Owls struck again to double up the Anchorwomen as Carly Diwinsky assisted Smith to go up 6-3. RIC halted the Owls' momentum over the next five and a half minutes as despite a pair of saves from Nicotera, including a free position shot saved, RIC scored twice more to pull within a goal with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter. Late in the third quarter the Owls tacked on one more goal as Varricchione scored her first of the game on a man-down goal to give KSC a 7-5 lead heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.
 
The Owls built on their momentum from Varricchione's man-down goal into the fourth as KSC scored seven goals across the last quarter, including a pair in the opening minute of the fourth. Devine started the scoring in the fourth 24 seconds in and after she won the ensuing draw control, Smith scored her second of the game 28 seconds later to put the Owls up 9-5. KSC continued to dominate as the Owls scored five goals over 2:20 shortly after in the quarter. Brown scored the first of the five, followed by Varricchione winning the draw control and Baxter assisted Smith's third goal of the game 29 seconds later. Maccarini got revenge for her two shots saved at the end of the first quarter as she scored the third of the five goals for the Owls, and then assisted Baxter's second goal of the game with 9:12 remaining in the contest. Varricchione won the ensuing draw control and 17 seconds after Baxter's goal, Smith tallied point number five of the day as she assisted Carly Diwinsky's goal to round out the five goals for the Owls. The rest of the way KSC tacked on one most goal and Nicotera made a late save on a free position shot to keep RIC off the board in the final quarter, giving the Owls the 15-5 victory.

 "I'm really impressed with that RIC team and how much growth I've seen from them last year to this year," said Owls' head coach Travis Wyant. "It was great to finally put together a dominate quarter. In the fourth, we were able to dominate possession and settle in on the offensive side. The draw was ours every time and we only played defense once throughout the quarter. Our energy held and we showed what we are capable of."

Inside the Crease

• With the win, KSC moves to 19-0 in the all-time series against RIC.
• Smith led the Owls with a game-high and career-high five points coming from her three goals, tying her career-high, to go with her two assists.
• Devine also set career-highs for the Owls on the day as she recorded a career-high four points coming from her career-high three goals and assist in the win.
• Brown, Varricchione, and Baxter all logged three points as Brown scored three goals and Varricchione and Baxter both scored a pair of goals and had an assist each, while Maccarini and Carly Diwinsky both rounded out the Owls' scoring with two points apiece as they each tallied a goal and assist.
• Nicotera picks up the win for the Owls after making five saves on her 10 shots faced, while Franco made 13 saves on her 28 shots faced for RIC.
• KSC won 15 of the 22 draw controls (68.2%) as Varricchione won a game-high seven draws.
• KSC caused 12 turnovers on the day with 25% of them (3) coming from Smith, while Devine led the Owls with five of the teams' 28 ground balls.
• The Owls had by far their best day of the season on clears as KSC went 17-for-18 (94.4%), while holding RIC to 17-for-34 (50%).

 
Up Next


Keene State is back on the road for their second of five consecutive road games as they head to Florida for their Spring Break trip as KSC takes on Hartwick College on Tuesday, March 17, at 5:00 PM.
Rhode Island College is back at home for their next contest as the Anchorwomen host Salem State University on Monday, March 16, at 4:00 PM.