Box Score
UNION, N.J. --  The Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team was shut out over the first 18 minutes of the second half and Kean University never trailed in the match and emerged with a tight, 11-7, non-conference decision in the Warriors' season-opener Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
 
The contest was the first for Eastern under new head coach Devyne Doran '17 and first between the programs (third overall) since the Cougars survived an overtime game for a 9-8 victory at Eastern in the Warriors' seventh match in program history in 1996.
 
Eastern never led and Kean (2-0) never trailed after scoring four of the first five goals in the first 11 minutes of the match. Although they were coming off last year's 4-12 finish (their third straight sub-.500 season excluding two Covid-shortened season), the Cougars had opened their first season under head coach Sarah Lawshe by routing Wilkes University, 18-5, Wednesday at Wilkes-Barre, PA. Saturday's game was their home-opener.
 
Although the Warriors struggled in the second half – managing only two goals (both in the fourth quarter) and nine shots – after trailing by only two, 7-5, at the break, their young defense limited Kean to only four second-half goals.
 
In the second quarter, Eastern tied the match for the second time, 5-5, on consecutive goals by sophomore Sydney Goyette (Westfield, MA) and a free-position man-up goal by junior Abby Parisi (Fairfield) four minutes apart. Goyette's goal was set up when first-year transfer Neely Hart (Colchester) picked up a ground ball when senior Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford) caused a turnover (and later fed Goyette), and Parisi tied the match for the second and final time when sophomore Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ) – the team's top returning scorer and first-team All-Little East Conference selection – cause a turnover and picked up the ground ball.
 
Neither team was able to score for six minutes after Vizzini's tying marker, but Kean regained the momentum by scoring the final two goals of the half in the final 66 seconds, with senior Kylie Giordano connecting on a man-up goal with 25 seconds left to give the hosts a 7-5 lead at the break. Last year's leading scorer, Giordano netted nine points with seven goals and two assists in her team's opener earlier this week.
 
The 12 cards issued in the game led to seven extra-man goals (including five of the final nine), four of the man-up goals being scored by Kean, including both in the final 66 seconds of the first half that gave the Cougars their two-goal halftime lead.
 
First-year senior transfer Mackenzie Brown (Southington) made 15 saves in her debut for Eastern, with freshman Sophie Jones stopping four shots to record her first win in her first start. Seven of Brown's saves came in the fourth quarter when she held the hosts to two goals.
 
Senior Jessie Pyrek-Bennett (Monroe) and Vizzini each had two goals (Pyrek-Bennett scoring the team's first goals of the season), with Drobish finishing with two assists and a goal. Senior Amanda Brzoska (4 goals), Giordano (three) and fifth-year Lauren Pluta (three) combined for all but one of the Cougars' goals, with sophomore Shannon Palen dishing our four assists and Giordano two.
 
As a team, the Warriors were credited with 13 caused turnovers on Kean's 22 turnovers (Vizzini leading the way with three), but Eastern turned the ball over 29 times.
 
Only half of Eastern's 12 starters played full seasons last year, with Brown, Hart, Grace Saldaña (Colchester), and Sophia Ramino (Haddam-Killingworth) all in their first seasons (all but Brown are true freshmen). Among other starters, senior Chloe Miller (Avon) missed all but the first game of last year due to injury, and  junior Addison Twohill (Hamden) sat out last year.
 
Eastern returns to action Wednesday against the University of Massachusetts Boston at the Mount Ida College campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Newton, MA. The contest will be the first on the varsity level for UMass Boston, which will not yet compete as a member of the Little East Conference.