Keene State Edges Lacrosse in ECAC Tournament Championship, 18-17

Tournament Bracket | Tournament History

PLYMOUTH, N.H. (May 16, 2010) – The top seeded Mount Holyoke College women’s lacrosse team suffered a heartbreaking 18-17 setback to third seeded Keene State College in the Championship of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Tournament today at Plymouth State University’s Arold Field.

Junior attacker Lauren Sawyer found the net for what proved to be the winner with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Her third tally of the afternoon came just 31 seconds after Mount Holyoke junior attacker Clara Raugei knotted things up at 17-17. Sawyer also dished out three assists in the contest.

The Owls were paced by Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jamie Albert, who racked up seven goals and four assists. Junior attacker Jill Kirk and sophomore midfielder Caitlyn Corace added hat tricks.

Raugei posted five goals and an assist to lead the way for Mount Holyoke. The Lyons also received solid production from senior midfielder Perry Markell, who collected four goals and eight draw controls. Classmate Peggy Wefald added a hat trick and one assist.

Mount Holyoke exploded out of the gate, outscoring the Owls 8-1 over the first 17:02. The Lyons enjoyed a 10-5 edge at the 4:16 mark, but Keene State closed out the opening frame with three straight tallies to slice the deficit to 10-8. Raugei and Markell each scored two goals before the break for Mount Holyoke. Meanwhile, Kirk netted all three of hers in the first 30 minutes.

After surrendering an early second half goal, Mount Holyoke ran off three straight over a span of 2:31 to push the lead to 13-9. Markell got the rally started at the 25:26 mark, and Raugei recorded the next two. A free position tally by Wefald put the Lyons in front 15-10 with 18:25 remaining in regulation.

From there, it was all Albert. The junior midfielder scored six of her seven goals down the stretch to help seal the deal for Keene State. Her final tally of the day closed out a 7-0 run and gave the Owls a 17-15 lead with just under four minutes to go.

Wefald put an end to the run with a free position goal at the 2:05 mark, and Raugei scored on another free position opportunity with 46 seconds left to tie things at 17-17.

Then, with the game in the balance, Sawyer netted the dramatic winner with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Keene State proceeded to win the ensuing draw control and run out the clock.

Mount Holyoke fell despite advantages in shots (44-30), ground balls (19-18) and draw controls (22-14). Sophomore Alyssa Marinaccio got the start between the pipes for Keene State. She made 10 saves over the first 39 minutes before giving way to junior Meghan Ledoux, who stopped five shots over the final 21 minutes. Ledoux was credited with the win. Senior Jessica Brezicha made six saves for the Lyons.

Keene State (14-5) had fallen in each of the previous three meetings between the programs. Mount Holyoke edged the Owls 17-15 during its spring break trip in West Palm Beach, Fla. earlier this year (March 17). The Lyons also came out on top 13-12 in both 2008 and 2009.

Mount Holyoke closed out its memorable season with an overall record of 11-7. The Lyons 11 wins were their most since 1994, when they recorded a program record 13 under the direction of longtime head coach Mike Hyer. Prior to today, they had never advanced to the Championship of the ECAC Tournament.

Third year head coach Miriam Esber’s squad currently leads the nation in draw controls per game with 19.17. Their 338 points, 265 goals and 345 draw controls this year were all program single season highs. Over the course of the year, they strung together three consecutive victories on two occasions.

2010 ECAC Division III New England Women’s Lacrosse Championship

Semifinals – Saturday, May 15 at Plymouth State University
#3 Keene State College def. #2 Plymouth State University, 12-8
#1 Mount Holyoke College def. #4 Husson University, 20-7

Championship – Sunday, May 16 at Plymouth State University
#3 Keene State College def. #1 Mount Holyoke College, 18-17