#4 Worcester State Falls in ECAC Semis to #1 Plymouth
PLYMOUTH, N.H. ? Senior Annie Pinault (Framingham, Mass.) recorded a career-high seven goals Saturday afternoon to lead top-seeded Plymouth State University to a 16-12 victory over fourth-seeded Worcester State College in a semifinal game of the ECAC Division III New England Women?s Lacrosse Tournament at Arold Field.
PSU, 13-5, advances to the ECAC New England Championship game against second-seeded Curry College Sunday at Arold Field (1:30 p.m.). The Colonels, 15-5, knocked off Bridgewater State, 17-10, in the other semifinal Friday in Milton, Mass.
The outcome spoiled another outstanding game by Lancer senior All-Star Ann Clark (Worcester, Mass.), who is ranked second in the nation in scoring. Clark led all scorers with nine points on Saturday with five goals and four assists, completing her outstanding season with 87 goals, 32 assists and 119 points.
The Panthers got to a quick start with four goals in the first seven minutes. It was a 6-3 Panther lead when the Lancers made a run at the end of the half to bring the game to 7-5 at the break. The teams went back and forth during the first minutes of the second half, keeping the game close at 9-7, until senior Meg Cupoli (Southboro, Mass.) started a Panther rally scoring two goals in five minutes.
Clark kept WSC in the game with four goals in the second half, cutting PSU?s lead to 12-10. The Panthers pulled away down the stretch as Pinault and freshman Taylor Cambal (West Yarmouth, Mass.) each scored twice in the final 12 minutes.
Cupoli and senior Kelsey MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, Mass.) also contributed to the offense with two goals and two assists apiece. Freshman Rhiannon Groff (Nashua, N.H.) contributed two goals and an assist, and sophomore Cassidy Barry (Branford, Conn.) added a goal.
MacDonald led PSU with seven ground balls, seven caused turnovers and four draw controls.
Sophomores Shannon Feeley (W. Springfield, Mass.) and Megan Rosborough (Uxbridge, Mass.) contributed to the Lancer offense with four points apiece, as Feeley had four goals and Rosborough three goals and one assist.
PSU outshot the Lancers 52-23 with junior goaltender Lyndsey Nunes (W. Springfield, Mass.) making 15 saves, while PSU junior netminder Suzie Lilakos (Stratham, N.H.) recorded seven saves.
(Courtesy Plymouth State Sports Information)
May 9, 2007
#4 Worcester State Advances Past #5 Keene State, 11-9
Worcester, MA - The Worcester State
College women's lacrosse team got 6 goals from senior Ann Clark
(Worcester, MA) as the #4 Lancers held on to defeat the #5 seed
Keene State College Owls in an ECAC quarterfinal match by the final
score of, 11-9, at Coughlin Field. The win improves Worcester State
to a record breaking, 12-4, while Keene State closes their season
at, 8-7. Worcester State advances to the semifinal game on Saturday
at 1:30 pm at the top seeded Panthers of Plymouth State University
who received a first round bye.
The Lancers hopped out to a, 4-0, lead over the first 4:45 of the
contest. Freshman Kim Vail (West Newbury, MA) opened the scoring at
28:50 on an unassisted goal. Clark then potted a pair of goals in a
25 second span to up the Lancer advantage to, 3-0. Sophomore Shannon
Feeley (West Springfield, MA) finished the run with a goal off a
free position shot.
Keene State's Samantha Martella (Dixhills, NY) got the Owls on the
board at 23:45 with an unassisted goal. Clark answered back for her
third of the night off a free position to give Worcester State a,
5-1, lead.
Freshman Dene Tully (Peabody, MA) cut the Lancers lead to, 5-2, off
a feed from Stephanie Georgevits (Concord, NH).
Feeley, Clark and sophomore Megan Rosborough (Uxbridge, MA) then
scored three unanswered goals to give Worcester State their largest
margin of the day at, 8-2. Keene State then scored a pair of goals
to close out the half for an, 8-4, halftime tally.
Keene State opened the second half and applied complete pressure on
the hosts as they scored three goals to open the stanza. Georgevits
netted a pair of goals and Michelle Mazzotta (Cromwell, CT) also
found the back of the net as the Owls run made the game a 1-goal
affair at, 8-7.
But Clark answered with a pair of timely scores to push the lead up
to, 10-7. Freshman Amanda Cosenza (Shrewsbury, MA) added the 11th
goal of the game. Keene added two goals late for the, 11-9, final.
Both goaltenders were sharp in net. Worcester State's Lyndsey Nunes
(West Springfield, MA) made 19 saves on the night. Keene State
goalie Jen Gearing (Westfield, MA) stopped 16 Lancer shots.
Clark's 6 goals ups her total to 82 on the season, just two shy of
her own Worcester State record for single season goals. Clark now
has 311 goals in her career. She is now also tied for 4th place in
DIII history with 383 career points.
