Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State posted a dominant first half enroute to a Little East Conference victory over UMass Dartmouth in women's lacrosse action on Friday night. The Warriors, who won by a 20-9 margin, improve to 5-8 and 3-2 in conference play, while the Corsairs slip to 7-6 and 1-4 in the Little East.
The homestanding Warriors got things going quickly with a pair of goals in the opening two minutes. Junior midfielder
Melanny Sanchez Alvarez closed the gap for the Corsairs, netting her 44th of the season at the 13:11 mark. Despite that momentum, the visitors could not hold off ECSU as the Warriors poured in six straight scores for an 8-1 advantage with 3:31 remaining. Rookie midfielder
Maddie Wright ended the run, scoring her 73rd of the season with 2:58 on the clock, but a goal from ECSU's Abby Parisi sent the home team into the second quarter with a 9-2 lead.
Second quarter action saw the home team strike quick with two goals to get things going before junior attack
Hannah Mitus scored on the up advantage to close the game to 11-3. ECSU tacked on two more goals before Wright added her second of the game at 6:45. The Warriors got back-to-back tallied from rookie Alexa Vizzini before Sanchez Alvarez grabbed her second of the game to make it 15-5 with 12 seconds as the teams headed into the break soon after.
Eastern Connecticut State dropped in two goals in the third quarter, but the fourth saw the Corsairs open up with a tally from Sanchez Alvarez – her 46th of the year. Vizzini added another goal for the Warriors – her game-leading seventh of the contest – but UMD countered with back-to-back goals from
Maddie Wright – including her 76th of the season.
Despite another Sanchez Alvarez score late, the Corsairs could not close the gap, falling by the 20-9 margin.
Leading the Warriors was Vizzini with seven goals and an assist. She added two ground balls, two caused turnovers and three draw controls. Jessie Pyrek-Bennett had four goals and two assists, while Shay Ventresca had two goals with a game-high five assists. Kaylee Drobish had two goals with a helper and four draw controls, while Abby Parisi posted two goals with two assists. In goal, Emma Alford recorded 10 saves.
For the Corsairs, Wright had four goals with an assist, adding four ground balls, two caused turnovers and four draw controls. Sanchez Alvarez had four goals two caused turnovers and a game-high 10 draws, while junior middie
Widline Thomas had four ground balls, two caused turnovers and six draws. In goal, senior
Payton Conceicao shouldered the loss with 10 saves.
UMD is back in action on Wednesday when it welcomes Keene State to Cressy Field at 6:30pm in the squad's final regular season home game.
