Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – Behind a program record-tying ten-goal effort from senior attack Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ), the Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team (2-3) defeated the Worcester State University Lancers (4-4) by a score of 19-15 in a non-conference match Wednesday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field.

With Eastern trailing by two goals with under a minute left in the second quarter, Vizzini had five goals – four in a row -- and two assists in a run of eight straight Warrior goals that propelled the Warriors to a decisive six-goal, 14-8 lead midway through the third quarter. In that burst, Vizzini beat the clock as time expired in the first half that gave Eastern the lead for good, 9-8, at the break.

With ten goals, Vizzini doubled her season goal total and gives her 20 goals and six assists in five matches. In 57 career matches, Vizzini is ranked fourth all-time in points (225), fifth in goals (179) and 14^th in assists (46). Her ten goals tie the match record set initially by Alumni Hall of Famer Erin Byrnes, who had ten against Montclair State in 1998 and her 13 points are one shy of the match record set by Shay Ventresca against VTSU Castleton three seasons ago.

A three-time first-team All-Little East Conference selection, Vizzini had nine goals by the 8:21 mark of the third quarter, scoring her final goal with 48 seconds remaining in the game.

Worcester State found an early 2-0 lead through a pair of goals scored by McKayla Fisher and assisted by Madigan Kelly. Vizzini responded for the Warriors with two of her own in the first four minutes of action. She was involved in all areas of the game, scoring a third in the quarter and assisting Ella Huard (Southington) to put the Warriors up 5-3 late in the first quarter. Vizzini finished with ten goals, three assists, nine draw controls, and three ground balls.

The Lancers were able to regain the lead midway through the second quarter as Molly Witkowski, Worcester State's leading goal scorer coming into today's game, scored back-to-back goals for her team to bring the score to 7-6. With less than a minute to go, Eastern found themselves down 8-6 and seemingly entering halftime with a small deficit to overcome. Vizzini scored two goals in the last 40 seconds of the half, including a goal with just seven seconds remaining by Emma Oliano (Wallingford). Vizzini's final goal of the half was scored as time expired.

The Warriors carried their first half momentum on both sides of the ball into the third quarter as Vizzini contributed on all five of the Warriors' goals before the first Lancer goal at the 6:14 mark of the third quarter. Eastern had scored eight in a row up to this point. Defensively, Jocelyn Kennedy (Southington) led all players with three caused turnovers and Huard's three ground balls tied Vizzini and Worcester State's Kerry Brown for the most in the game. In goal, Maizie Rukat (Peru, VT) made eight saves, stopping the Lancers in some crucial moments of the game.

Eastern's dominance in the moments before and after halftime allowed them to maintain at least a four-goal cushion through the rest of the game. Molly Page (Waterford) scored four goals with just five attempts on target, while Hannah Seltzer (Westerly, RI) and Nina Cirianni (Whitehouse Station, NJ) each had three assists in a highly productive evening of offense.               

In addition to her 13 points, Vizzini won nine of the team's 16 draw controls.

Now 2-0 at home, the Warriors are back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. for their Little East Conference opener against the University of Southern Maine at Rick McCarthy Field. The Huskies (5-3, 1-0 LEC) are  coming off Wednesday night's 20-3 home loss to Bowdoin College on the schedule for Wednesday night.

Eastern and Southern Maine have now both played Worcester State and the Huskies defeated the Lancers 12-9 in their season and home-opener. USM is ranked second in the LEC coaches pre-season poll, Eastern third.

In the 2025 season, the Warriors traveled to Gorham, ME to take on Southern Maine on the last day of  the regular season. The Huskies won 15-13 on their Senior Day, fueled by seven goals from current graduate student Katelyn D'Appolonia. Southern Maine lost to Western Connecticut, 11-10, in the 2025 LEC semifinals.