NEW LONDON, Conn. -- With the first six matches of the season finally in the books, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team can now focus on its Little East Conference season, which gets underway Saturday at noon when the Warriors host rival Keene State College at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Playing its first match in 11 days -- since winning two of three in Florida over spring break (where the loss came at Division II Lynn University) – Eastern (4-2) remained winless in 13 games in the all-time series with Connecticut College with an 18-6 loss at Silfen Field Wednesday evening.
 
While the Camels (5-3) were playing their third straight home match, Eastern was playing its sixth straight on the road. While Conn entered play just above the .500 makr, two of its three losses this year have come against No. 1 nationally-ranked Middlebury College and No. 12 Hamilton College.
 
While Eastern has never beaten Conn, the Warriors have had a handful of near-misses in the series, losing two of the last four by a goal and four in all by three goals or less.
 
Wednesday was not one of those close ones, however, as the hosts rolled up a 13-3 halftime lead by scoring eight of the game's nine goals in the second quarter.
 
Against the Camels, junior Caroline Stent (Weatogue) pulled to within two of her 100^th career point with a pair of goals but was the only Eastern player with more than one. Junior Jessica Pyrek-Bennett (Monroe) and first-year player Emma Oliano (Wallingford) each had a goal and assists. Junior Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) made 12 stops in net in losing for only the second time in six decisions this year.
 
Emily Yorns netted a third of Conn's goals, with six (all in the first half), and Greta Panke had a hand in seven goals by scoring three and assisting on four. Violette Nidds, the team's No. 1 goalie, made nine saves for her fifth win.
 
Keene, which routed Eastern a year ago in winning twice by a total of 23 goals, is ranked third in the Little East pre-season coaches' poll while Eastern is fifth. For the Owls an early, rigorous schedule has left them winless (0-6) – and no doubt, hungry -- heading into the LEC opener for both teams Saturday.
 
Keene is coming off a 16-6 home loss to No. 19 nationally-ranked Amherst College but played Johnson & Wales University (which received votes in the most recent national poll) to a three-goal loss in its home-opener March 7. The Owls' veteran roster includes 12 juniors and seniors.
 
Since Eastern defeated Keene four straight times, the Owls have rolled up four straight wins – all by double-digits – the most recent one eliminating the Warriors in the first round of last year's LEC tournament at the Owls' Athletic Complex.
 
Juniors Stent, Pyrek-Bennett, Chloe Miller (Avon) and Shay Ventresca (Oakdale) have combined for 56 of the team's 77 goals and 25 of 36 assists. Stent has 19 goals and five assists, Miller 17 goals and four assists, Ventresca 11 goals and 13 assists and Pyrek-Bennett nine goals and three assists.
 
Stent is also the team's runaway leader with 37 draw controls and also tops the Warriors in ground balls (14) and caused turnovers (8). Against Conn, she corralled six of the team's ten draws and caused two turnovers.
 
Gallagher has started all six matches in net with an 11.91 goals-against average and .378 save percentage.
 
Beginning with Keene, Eastern plays three of its next four at McCarthy Field, against the University of Southern Maine April 9 and Rhode Island College April 14 – both in conference play.