Box Score KEENE, N.H. –  Sophomore Jackie DeAngelis had seven goals and eight assists to spark fourth-seeded Keene State College to a 23-13 victory over No. 5 Eastern Connecticut State University in the opening round of the 2021 Little East Conference women's lacrosse playoffs Tuesday night at Dr. Ron Butcher Field.

By defeating Eastern for the seventh time in the last eight meetings at Keene, NH, the Owls  (6-3) advance to face No. 1 seed Western Connecticut State University in Thursday's semifinals at Danbury. The Colonials finished the regular-season undefeated in seven games – all played in the conference -- and were awarded the No. 1 seed for the first time.

Eastern (9-6) failed to reach the playoff semifinals for only the fourth time in 19 seasons, finishing the season with six more wins and nine less losses that its 3-15 campaign of 2019. Keene improved to 5-3 against Eastern in LEC playoff games dating back to 2002.

In contrast to their 20-7 loss at home to Keene just over two weeks ago – when the Warriors  allowed seven of the first eight goals and never threatened -- Eastern hung around this time, trailing by only three, 11-8 seven minutes into the second half after sophomore Shay Ventresca (Oakdale) and seniors Sydney Hogan (Northford) and Tristan Kijak (Windsor) scored five minutes apart.

The momentum faded quickly, however, when the Owls countered with five in a row on a pair of unassisted goals from junior Brigid Casey and three assists from DeAngelis to push the lead back up to eight, 16-8, with 16 minutes left.

Kijak led Eastern with five goals, with Hogan adding two goals and two assists, Ventresca and sophomore Caroline Stent (Weatogue) two goals and an assist each and sophomore Chloe Miller (Avon) two goals. Kijak won eight draws and Stent five and Bennett won five ground balls and caused three turnovers to go along with her two assists.

Sophomore Haile Ratajack, who was the best defensive player on the field in Keene's regular-season win over Eastern, made another case for that distinction Tuesday when she won eight draws and four ground balls, and caused six turnovers.

Limited to one goal on two shots against Eastern in the regular season, DeAngelis was unstoppable Tuesday, contributing to 15 of her team's goals.

The Warriors' only wins in their last seven contests this year were a pair of blowout LEC victories over the two teams which finished out of the playoff chase.

Stent became the program's 17^th 50-goal scorer in a season, finishing with 56, while Hogan's 26 assists equal the ninth-most in a season in program history.  Kijak finished her 3+ season career with 122 goals (tied for 12^th all-time), 28 assists, 150 points, 169 draw controls and 112 caused turnovers.

Stent averaged 4.5 goals in propelling the Warriors to a 6-1 non-conference record but was contained in LEC play, managing an average of only three in eight regular-season and playoff games.

Nearly half (5) of Eastern's 12 starters in the game were first-year players.