Women's Lacrosse: With LEC Season Winding Down, Warriors Battle Unbeaten Leader

4/22/2026 11:49:00 AM

Team Records
Eastern Connecticut: 7-6 (5-1 LEC)
Western Connecticut: 11-3 (6-0 LEC)
Series History:

Since the Warriors won 22 of the first 25 meetings, WestConn has taken the last six, including the last three at Rick McCarthy Field.
The Wolves won the first five games in the current six-game winning streak by an average of over 13 goals but won by only five, 14-9, a year ago at the Westside Athletic Complex.
The Warriors won the first 17 matches contested between the programs, the first two coming in the old New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance before play began in the LEC in 2002.
In 2024, Eastern and WestConn squared off in a battle of LEC unbeatens, but the Wolves stormed to the first seven goals in a 19-8 win to post its 28^th straight LEC regular-season win.
In 2025, after Eastern scored two quick goals, the game was tied four times and neither side led by more than one until the hosts ran off four straight goals – the final one of the first half that gave them a two-goal lead – and the first three of the second half that pushed the WestConn lead to five, 11-6 midway through the quarter.
Eastern's last win in the series came by a score of 18-6 at McCarthy Field in 2018. Eastern was in the midst of ten wins in 11 matches when it posted that win and eventually reached the LEC championship game, losing as the No. 2 seed to No. 1 Plymouth State University. The Warriors ran off a 7-1 scoring streak in the first half to pull away in that win over WestConn.

Recent Games:

WestConn won its sixth straight match Saturday, 20-6, at UMass Boston, to improve to 6-2 on the road this year. The Wolves have outscored their last two opponents by 44-12.
Since losing two of their first three on the road against SUNY Cortland (15-3) and Tufts University (19-2), the Wolves are 10-1.
WestConn has reached 20 goals six times this year (and 19 goals twice), with its closest decision during its current six-game winning streak a 12-5 home LEC home win over the University of Southern Maine (USM's only conference loss this year).
Eastern brings a season-high three-game winning streak – all against LEC opponents – into its seventh home game (4-2 home record).
In Saturday's 16-5 win at UMass Dartmouth, sophomore goalie Maizie Rukat recorded her first win since a 19-15 non-conference home decision over Worcester State University nearly a month ago.
In a three-day span last year, the Warriors bested LEC rivals Plymouth State (13-8) and Keene State College (13-12), coming from behind in both matches after falling behind early.

Game Notes:

WestConn needs two wins to complete its fifth undefeated season in six years since Covid. The Wolves are 41-1 in their last 42 LEC regular-season matches. The Wolves avenged that loss by beating Plymouth State, 17-9, in last year's LEC final on the road as the No. 2 seed. WestConn won last year's NCAA opener before being eliminated, 20-5, by Rowan University.
WestConn closes the regular season hosting Keene State College (3-3 LEC) Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern visits VTSU Castleton (2-4 LEC) Saturday at 1 p.m.
WestConn (6-0) enters play today a game up on Southern Maine and Eastern, both 5-1. The top two seeds receive first-round LEC playoff byes while No. 3 hosts No. 6 and No. 4 hosts No. 5 in first-round matches Tuesday. Keene holds the tie-breaker over Eastern by virtue of its 14-5 win at Eastern three weeks ago.
WestConn averages just under 16 goals per game this year with an average winning margin of +8.4.
WestConn's Madison Ratchford (61-20-81) and Isabella Pota (59-20-79) have combined for 120 goals, 40 assists and 160 points, ranking 1-2 in the LEC in goals and points. Norah Zuidema ranks second in the LEC in GAA (7.40).
Ratchford and Pota rank among the LEC in leads in draw controls, with 72 and 58 respectively.
Eastern's Alexa Vizzini tops Eastern in most categories, among them goals (47), assists (19), shots (104), and draws (57).
Grace Saldana (26) is one of three Eastern players with at least 20 caused turnovers, along with Vizzini at 21 and Emma Oliano (20).