MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University and University of Southern Maine women's lacrosse teams were separated by two points in the 2022 Little East Conference pre-season coaches' poll, so it should come as no surprise that the teams played to a two-goal decision Saturday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Ranked fourth in the pre-season poll, Southern Maine (8-3, 2-0 LEC) got an early jump by scoring the first five goals against Eastern (5-4, 0-2 LEC) – ranked fifth in the pre-season poll – and was content to more or less trade goals the rest of the way in posting its its fifth straight victory, 11-9.
 
A loser of three straight in the series with Southern Maine, Eastern bounced back to cut the deficit to two with six minutes left in the fourth quarter Saturday on junior Chloe Miller's (Avon) man-up goal, but the Huskies shut Eastern out over the remaining minutes of the third and got a pair of strikes from freshman Kate Colvin to take a four-goal lead into the final quarter.
 

The Warriors held USM to just one shot and no goals in the fourth quarter and got one goal closer six minutes into the frame on junior Caroline Stent's (Weatogue) team-leading 31^st goal of the season, but could muster only one more the rest of the way when Miller and junior Shay Ventresca (Oakdale) hooked up with just under four minutes left.
 
With the Huskies content to whittle away the remaining minutes, Eastern had two more possessions to cut the two-goal deficit further but turned the ball over on one and shot wide in the final seconds.
 
In the game, Eastern was able to connect on only four of 11 free-position shots, thanks mainly to the defense of sophomore goalie Cece Racine, who made 12 saves in the game – nine coming in the first half that helped the Huskies take a 7-4 lead into the break.
 
Colvin, graduate student Jennifer Darasz and LEC scoring leader Rachel Shanks combined for USM's first five goals, Darasz scoring goals 4:30 apart to help set the tone for her team.
 
Colvin led Southern Maine with four goals, Darasz adding three and Shanks two. Miller led all players with five goals, moving to within one of her 30^th of the season. Stent was held scoreless until breaking through with her first of two goals on the day – her 30^th of the season – four minutes into the second half.
 
Behind Stent and sophomore Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford) – who each totalled five -- Eastern won 15 of the game's 24 draws. Colvin was credited with four draws and senior Evelyn Hinkley  three.
 
In her first career start, first-year goalie Emma Alford (West Hartford) made five saves for Eastern, surrendering only six goals over the final 49 minutes.
 
Eastern hosts Rhode Island College in an LEC match Thursday at 5 p.m.