DARTMOUTH, Mass. – First-year Division II sophomore transfers
Caroline Stent (Weatogue) and
Jessie Pyrek-Bennett (Monroe) combined for 11 goals and five assists and Stent matched her high with eight draw controls as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team established its best record in program history after the first eight matches with a 22-9 non-conference win over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wednesday evening at Cressy Field.
Now 7-1 after its first eight games, Eastern got goals from five different players – including two from Pyrek-Bennett and first-year sophomore transfer
Chloe Miller (Avon) – to build an 8-1 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half on the way to its 18
th win in the last 19 tries against the Corsairs, whose win in that stretch came by a 14-13 score in 2016 at Cressy Field. UMass is 0-2.
A transfer from Stonehill College, Stent established season-highs in assists (4) and points (9) and University of Bridgeport transfer Pyrek-Bennett equaled her season best with six goals and finished with seven points.
This year, Eastern is averaging 19.9 goals and an average winning margin of 13.3 goals.
Stent, junior
Cassie Bennett (Milford) and Pyrek-Bennett helped the Warriors to a 19-15 advantage in draws, with Bennett winning five and Pyrek-Bennett four. Miller, a Division I transfer from Central Michigan University, added four goals and two assists and senior
Sydney Hogan (Northford) chipping in three goals and an assist.
Sophomore
Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) stopped six shots to improve her record to 5-1.
Eastern visits three-time defending (2017-19) Little East Conference playoff champion Plymouth State University Saturday at noon. The Warriors and Panthers won their conference openers this past Saturday, Eastern downing Castleton University, 21-4, at McCarthy Field, and Plymouth besting Rhode Island College, 17-3, in Providence in its season-opener. The Panthers have beaten Eastern the last four times the teams have met, twice in the LEC championship match.
Eastern and Massachusetts Dartmouth are schedule to meet again in an LEC match April 17 at Rick McCarthy Field.
