FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team committed a season-low ten turnovers and the team's top three season scoring leaders combined for 17 goals and five assists to power the Warriors to a 22-12 non-conference win over Fitchburg State University Wednesday afternoon at Elliot Field.
 
Eastern (5-3) ended a three-game losing skid by unloading a season-high 47 shots and outscoring Fitchburg (5-7) 11-3 in the second quarter to build a 17-7 halftime lead on the way to its fifth win without a loss in the series.
 
Leading by two after one quarter, Eastern scored six unanswered goals over the first four minutes of the second quarter to pull away. Junior midfielder Caroline Stent (Weatogue) scored five of her season-tying six goals and had both of her game total of two assists in that second quarter and junior attack Chloe Miller (Avon) added three of her season-high six goals over those 15 minutes. Junior attack Shay Ventresca (Oakdale) chipped in a goal and both of her assists in the quarter.
 
Led by Stent, sophomore midfielder Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford) and first-year midfielder Emma Oliano (Wallingford), eight  different players contributed a least one draw to help the Warriors to a +2 edge in that category. The Little East Conference leader in draws per game, Stent had four – giving her 50 on the season – with Drobish and Oliano each picking up three. Senior defender Aiyana Ward's (Waterbury) five ground balls sparked the Warriors to a +10 advantage in that category.
 
Stent finished with six goals and two assists, Miller six goals and an assist and Ventresca five goals and two assists. Drobish and sophomore attack Kate Barner (Southington) also added two assists each, which were the first points of the year for Barner.
 
Junior goalie Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) and first-year goalie Emma Alford (West Hartford) split time in net, combing for 13 saves.
 
Playing at home for only the second time this spring, Eastern hosts the University of Southern Maine (7-3, 1-0 LEC) Saturday at 3 p.m. in a Little East Conference match. The Warriors are coming off a 13-10 loss to Keene State College in their conference and home-openers Saturday.
 
Eastern leads the all-time series against USM, 18-8, but the Huskies won the regular-season meeting at Eastern in 2019 and again last year at home in the regular-season finale.  The Huskies have won four straight and have outscored their opponent by nearly 2-to-1.
 
Last year, Eastern was held scoreless for 23 minutes after scoring twice in the opening two minutes as the Huskies rolled up a 10-2 lead late in the first half in an 18-11 win. USM has lost two of its top three scorers and its starting goalie from that game. Graduated All-LEC midfielder Tristan Kijak led the Warriors in that game with six goals and Stent added four, including her 50^th of the season. Current junior midfielder Mackenzie Shrewsbury (Sprague) had eight draws and Stent six in that contest as the Warriors doubled USM's total in that category.
 
Among goalies having seen regular action this year, USM sophomore Cece Racine leads the LEC in goals-against average (7.35) and is third in save percentage (.562), with senior Rachel Shanks the conference's top goal-scorer, with 41.