Box Score

GORHAM, Maine – After losing by nine goals in its Little East Conference women's lacrosse opener against the University of Southern Maine just over a month ago, Eastern Connecticut State University had thoughts on flipping the script when the teams met in the LEC semifinals Thursday night at Hannaford Field.

The second-seeded Huskies (14-4) had other ideas, however, as they held Eastern (9-8) scoreless for a stretch of 15 minutes in the first half and 18 minutes in the second in posting a 13-6 victory that ended the Warriors' season in the playoff semifinals for the third straight year and vaulted USM into the championship game Saturday at top-seeded defending champion Western Connecticut State University. The Wolves are the only team to defeat the Huskies in USM's last ten matches, 12-5, three weeks ago in Danbury. The 14 wins are a season high for USM.

In their failed bid to reach the LEC finals for the first time in eight years ago and claim their first title since 2013, Eastern led twice by a goal in the opening five minutes before the hosts reeled off six consecutive goals, and led 7-2 before the Warriors were able to score again four minutes into the second quarter.

Trailing by a score of 9-4, Eastern's best opportunity to close the gap came midway through the third quarter when USM was slapped with three minutes worth of cards (one yellow, one green) 11 seconds apart, giving Eastern a two-man advantage. Southern Maine weathered the storm, however, and countered minutes later when season scoring leader Mariam DeLisle fired in two goals in less than a minute that helped the hosts carry an 11-4 lead into the final 15 minutes.

Having won nearly half of the draws contested this season, Eastern was outdueled in that area, managing to win only six of 21. Cierra Hill and Katelyn D'Appolonia combined to corral 12 for the Huskies and Eliza Pattershall caused seven turnovers.

DeLisle and D'Appolonia  combined for nine goals and five assists, giving the pair 92 goals 50 assists this season.

Sophomore goalie Maizie Rukat (Peru, VT) was credited with five saves and led the Warriors with five ground balls and four caused turnovers.

Three-time first-team All-LEC attack Alexa Vizzini (Vernon, NJ) had two goals and an assist, and first-year attack Molly Page (Waterford) two goals, with sophomore attack Hannah Seltzer (Westerly, RI) and junior attack Tori Mitchell (Vernon) chipping in one apiece. Mitchell's goal with 3:11 left on a free-position shot was her first of the year.

Vizzini's second and final goal of the match gives her a final total of 218 in her celebrated career and her assist leaves her with 62 and her three points leave her with a career total of 280. She departs the program ranked second all-time in goals and points and sixth in assists.

Eastern had advanced to the Thursday semifinals by scoring the first nine goals in a 14-4 rout of sixth-seeded Keene State College Tuesday at Rick McCarthy Field – its five win in its last six matches. The team's six LEC regular-season wins (in eight matches) equalled a program-best in a season.