KEENE, N.H. – Senior Tess Brown became the new Keene State College women's lacrosse career leader in caused turnovers while Hayden Smith and Helen Baxter each poured in five goals as the Owls had no trouble dispatching the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth 16-5 in a Little East Conference game Wednesday night at the Owl Athletic Complex.

One of the more decorated players in program history, Brown finished with four caused turnovers on the evening and now has 222 for her career, surpassing Haile Ratajack '24   who had mentored her in her younger days and had 220 career caused turnovers.  Ratajack is also the second-leading point scorer in program history behind only Lauren Sawyer and the leading goal scorer in program history (235).  With her goal tonight, Brown now has 159 to tie Kaitlin Nolan for sixth all-time in program history.

The Owls (5-7, 2-1 LEC) did not need a big scoring game from Brown tonight, instead getting it from different sources as Smith and Baxter, a first year, each scored five apiece.  The duo combined for three in the opening quarter as KSC sprinted out to a 7-1 advantage in the first 15 minutes and was never threatened by the short-handed Corsairs (3-9, 0-3 LEC), who lost their seventh straight this season and 24th straight in the all-time series against the Owls.

Keene State carried a 9-3 edge into halftime and got most of their roster playing time, particularly in the second half.  Carleigh Swenson opened the scoring in the final 30 minutes to have her team within five at 9-4, but the Owls then held them scoreless for the next 22 minutes while scoring seven straight goals to send the game into running time, including two goals in less than two minutes from Baxter sandwiching a Riley Devine maker in which she corralled a draw control, sprinted down the field and through a pair of defenders, and scored eight seconds later.

KSC finished with six different goal scorers, with Smith and Baxter each having five goals and two assists for career-highs.  After scoring once in her first five career games, Baxter has scored 11 times in the seven games since including multiple goals in consecutive games for the first time in her career.  Lola Varricchione and Riley Devine each added a pair of goals while Anna Maccarini and Brown had a goal and a pair of assists each.

The Owls dominated the game in every statistical category, including causing a whopping 18 turnovers while being plus-15 (30-15) in ground balls.  KSC also outshot the Corsairs 35-16, including 10-2 in the lopsided opening quarter.

UMass-Dartmouth has not beaten the Owls since 2003 and has not won in Keene since 2001.

It was a needed victory for KSC, who moved back above .500 in conference play after a 12-8 home loss to the University of Southern Maine this past Saturday.  The Owls now head on the road for a pair of league games, beginning with a trip to face the University of Massachusetts-Boston on Saturday (April 11) at 11:00 a.m.