Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – Although 15 different players have contributed points this year for the Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team, the Warriors' best offensive weapon this year has been the ability to win draw controls.
 
Proof positive came in Tuesday's 18-15 non-conference win over Westfield State University at Rick McCarthy Field, when Eastern (8-2) improved to 4-0 at home this year in the first meeting between the programs in ten years.
 
After an early 6-0 evaporated, the Warriors turned to what they do best – win draw controls. With the score tied at 12-all (the fifth tie of the match ), Eastern won the next seven draws – five different players contributing to that total -- and eight of the last 11 to hold off Westfield (3-8), whose deceiving record was marred by losses to two nationally-ranked teams and three to opponents from nation's most dominant women's lacrosse conference – the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
 
The Warriors dominated the first quarter by winning four of the five draws that led directly to its 5-0 lead after the first stop. Behind senior Mykenzie Black's game total of ten draws, the Owls battled back, holding their own at the X to take their only lead of the match, 8-7,  on Black's only goal of the afternoon with three minutes left in the first half.
 
In the second half, neither team led by more than two goals until graduate midfielder Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford) scored twice and team scoring leader Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ) once two minutes apart that pushed the Warriors into their first four-goal lead (16-12) since midway through the second quarter.
 
After Westfield scored twice to even the count at 12-12 with five minutes left in the third quarter, senior Emma Oliano (Wallingford) won the ensuing draw and graduate attack Avonlea LeBeau (North Branford) made it 13-12 with her first goal since late in the first quarter. Seniors Abby Parisi (Fairfield) and Addison Twohill (Hamden) gained the next two draws to set up goals by Drobish and Vizzini, respectively, and Drobish scored again after winning the next draw to make it 16-12 four minutes into the fourth quarter.
 
Although the Owls responded with three goals in two minutes to cut the deficit to one, Westfield turned the ball over with a chance to create the sixth tie of the game, and first-year attack Hannah Seltzer (Westerly, RI) saved her only goal of the match for the perfect moment, beating Westfield goalie Sydney Smith off a pass from Drobish that made it 17-15 with five minutes left.
 
Seltzer's ground ball off Westfield's 17th turnover of the game gave the ball back to Eastern, and LeBeau provided the clincher with an unassisted goal with exactly a minute left.
 
Drobish keyed the win with five goals, two assists, seven draws and four ground balls, with LeBeau (four draws) and Vizzini adding three goals each and Parisi winning six draws and potting two goals.
 
Smith, a senior,  kept her team within striking distance by making seven saves off 14 Eastern shots in the first quarter when the Warriors threatened to run away with the game. Smith finished with 13 saves by Eastern first-year goalie Maizie Rukat (Manchester, VT) turned back seven shot to win her seventh game in nine decisions.
 
The Warriors posted a +12 advantage in shots, turned ball over only 12 times, and claimed 22 of the 36 draws.
 
Eastern hosts VTSU Castleton Saturday at 1 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.