KEENE, N.H. --  The fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team made a run of four straight fourth-quarter goals in a span of four-plus minutes  to cut a nine-goal deficit to five with six minutes left but ran out of time in a 22-12 loss to fourth-seeded Keene State College Tuesday night in the first round of the 2023 Little East Conference playoffs at the Owl Athletic Complex.
 
Looking to end a string of four straight LEC playoff losses and record its first win on the road this year, Eastern (5-11) was more resilient against  Keene State (8-10) than in its 13-goal regular-season loss at Keene April 1, but came up short on both counts and concludes with only its second sub-.500 season in the last eight years.
 
On the season, Eastern won five of its eight home games but was 0-6 on its opponent's home field and 0-8 in all. Three of Eastern's games against the top four Little East teams were played on the road this year. Eastern's goal total against Keene was its highest this year against those top four LEC teams.
 
In winning for the sixth time in nine LEC post-season meetings with the Warriors, Keene had three runs of five unanswered goals, the third one coming over the final six minutes of play after Eastern had pulled to within five on two goals by first-year attack Sydney Goyette (Westfield, MA) and one each from senior attack Jessie Pyrek-Bennett (Monroe) and one from junior midfielder Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford).
 
Sophomore midfielder Abby Parisi (Stratford) won six of the team's 15 draws and first-year midfielder Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ) picked up four and caused three turnovers.  Goyette finished with four goals, Pyrek-Bennett three and Vizzini had two assists.
 
Vizzini was limited to two shots and held without a goal for only the third time this year but finished as the team leader with 43 goals and was second to senior attack Shay Ventresca (Oakdale) with 52 points. Ventresca was credited with a goal and assist and completed her 47-gane career with 83 goals and 75 assists (fourth all-time) for 158 points. She led the Warriors this year with 59 points on 27 goals and 32 assists. She had at least one point in 15 of 16 matches.
 
Vizzini led the team this year with 38 draws, with Parisi the team leader with 37 ground balls and second to Vizzini with 36 draws. Sophomore Emma Oliano (Wallingford) caused a team-high 19 turnovers and was second to Parisi (by one with 36 ground balls.