Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. --  Keene State College's double-teaming and face-guard tactics were effective in neutralizing the offensive capabilities of Eastern Connecticut State University senior Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ),  but they weren't enough to prevent the three-time first-team All-Little East Conference attack from playing a key role in the Warriors' 13-12 comeback win in a key conference match Wednesday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
While Vizzini was able to score twice to reach and exceed the 200-goal plateau despite being bottled up on the offensive end by midfielder Lola Varriccione and defender Brooke Diwinsky throughout the afternoon, it was her play on draw controls and on defense which were  primary factors in helping the Warriors (6-6, 4-1 LEC) dig out of a six-goal deficit over the final 24 minutes and end a four-game home losing streak against Keene (5-9, 2-3 LEC) (including Wednesday, Eastern's last four home wins over Keene have come by a total of five goals).
 
With its fourth straight Little East win after an opening home loss to the University of Southern Maine, Eastern moves into a share of second place with USM behind unbeaten (5-0) defending champion Western Connecticut State University (which Eastern hosts next Wednesday in its regular-season home finale). A loser of three of its last four and two of its last three LEC contests, Keene falls into sixth place, a half-game behind Plymouth State University and a game up on VTSU Castleton.
 
Eastern led only once in the game -- by the final score --  when first-year attack Molly Page (Waterford) broke a tie on a  free-position shot awarded when Keene was issued a (unreleasable)  yellow card with 1:46 left. In essence, the Warriors' cause was aided over the final two minutes when Keene was saddle with a second card 39 seconds later that had the visitors playing two men down over the final minutes
 
After what proved to be Page's third game-winning goal of the year with just under two minutes left, junior defender Sophia Ramino (Haddam-Killingworth) picked an important time to win her only draw of the game, and after Eastern turned the ball over soon after, Vizzini got it back for Eastern by causing her fourth turnover of the match.
 
Vizzini, Page, sophomore attack Hannah Seltzer (Westerly, RI), and sophomore attack Ella Huard (Southington) all contributed goals when Eastern rallied from an 11-5 deficit with nine minutes left in the third quarter  to tie it for the first time, 11-11, on Vizzini's goal with 8:49 left. Vizzini, graduate midfielder Emma Oliano (Wallingford) and sophomore Jocelyn Kennedy (Southington) also chipped in assists in that stretch.
 
After Vizzini's tying goal (11-11) which came off a Keene turnover with 8:49 left, Keene took its final lead, 12-11, with five minutes left on Hayden Smith's goal but the advantage didn't last long as junior Jenna Mahoney (North Reading, MA), on a pass from Huard, recorded her first goal since early in the second quarter – on an extra-man opportunity -- less than two minutes later to tie the score at 12 with 3:40 left.
 
Following Mahoney's tying goal, Vizzini won her sixth draw of the match. Page's bid to give Eastern the lead was turned away by Keene goalie Katelyn Nicotera to keep the game tied with three minutes left. With Keene attempting to clear the ball and work for the go-ahead goal, Huard contributed her only caused turnover of the game as Eastern regained possession on Seltzer's groundball pickup to set up what would be Page's game-winning goal.
 
Eastern trailed by four after Keene scored the opening four goals over the first three minutes of the match, and after whittling the deficit to one midway through the second quarter, fell back by six, 11-5, after the Owls took control by closing the first half with the final three goals and opening the second half with the first two. The final 24 minutes of the match, however, belonged to Eastern – or more specially, its defense – as the Warriors outscored the Owls 8-1 the rest of the way.
 
In addition to her two goals and assist, Vizzini won six draws, caused four turnovers and picked up four ground balls. Seltzer also had two goals and an assist and won five draws and won three ground balls. Junior defender Grace Saldaña (Colchester) won three draws and picked up two ground balls.
 
Behind Page (3 goals), five teammates chipped in two goals each: Vizzini, Mahoney, Huard, Seltzer and junior Thea O'Connor (Rocky Hill).
 
Having been installed as the No. 1 goalie only a week ago and backstopping the team to an LEC win at Plymouth State University Monday, senior Kasi DaCruz (Suffield) made six stops to record her second career win in three days – her first at home. Nicotera (5-5), who took over as Keene's No. 1 goalie after the team opened the season with an 0-5 start, made 17 saves – six in sparking Keene to a 5-2 lead after one quarter.
 
Eastern visits the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (3-11, 0-5 LEC) Saturday at 1 p.m. in the third of five straight conference games which close the regular season.