WOMEN
Last Tuesday the KSC womens lacrosse team traveled to Westfield, Massachusetts to battle Westfield State at Alumni field where they suffered an 11-8 loss.
The Owls traded goals as WSU’s senior defender Jenn Smith scored before KSC junior midfielder Jenna Bellano countered with a goal of her own. Sophomore midfielder Stephanie Godek scored to put WSU 2-1 before Bellano responded for the Owls once more to tie on an un assisted goal. Godek scored again along with sophomore attack Samantha Coyle put WSU back up by a score of 4-2.
Bellano then continued her tremendous performance, completing the hat trick with another goal along with sophomore midfielder Taylor Farland who scored unassisted to tie once again. With the game even, Westfield State flipped a switch as Godek would score to spark a run of four unanswered goals making the score 9-5 at halftime with a WSU lead.
In the second half Smith kicked off the scoring again for WSU before senior attack Kaitlin Nolan and junior attack Kelly Chadnick scored five minutes apart from each other to provide some momentum for the Owls. With the score 10-7, Nolan would score again and would be the last shot the Owls would put in the back of the net for the remainder of the game.
Another goal for WSU would seal the deal and serve the KSC women their fourth loss of the season. The Owls could take advantage of out-shooting WSU 29-25.
The Owls then bounced back at home in an overtime thriller against Roger Williams where they scrapped for a 7-6 win.
Nolan scored the first goal of the game off an assist from sophomore midfielder Tori Weinstock just 50 seconds into the game. After a ten minute stalemate, Roger Williams broke the silence with goals from midfielders junior McKenna Everding and sophomore Kaelin Hogan to force the first lead change. Junior attack Taylor Graf assisted Weinstock for the Owls to tie with a Hawk player serving a penalty.
Everding scored again along with first year attack Abby Wollenberg giving the Hawks a pair of goals. With the score 4-2, Nolan assisted first year midfielder Samantha Ballard to get the Owls within one going into the second half.
Bellano would strike first in the second half tying the game for the Owls on an unassisted effort with a Hawk player serving a penalty.
First year midfielder Marin Owens and Everding struck back taking a 6-4 lead. Ballard then scored her second of the game before the tying goal came in an electrifying sequence.
With limited time, Laura Gedreau checked the ball away from a Hawk player before Farland scooped the ground ball and served the pass to Nolan where she would tie the game, forcing overtime.
In overtime, after multiple missed shots, Roger Williams first year attack Nicole Hannah was called for a penalty. It was then in free position where Nolan would bury a goal putting g the game away earning the Owls their third win of the year.
With a 3-4 record, the Owls will face Tufts on Wednesday 30, at home.
MEN
Wednesday 23, the Keene State College mens lacrosse team came back from their Florida road trip to face off against Bates College on the road.
The Owls opened up in high-flying fashion scoring three of the first four goals in the first quarter by the hands of junior attackmen Rob Hart (2) and Tyler Reilly. Attack Jack Allard scored for the Bobcats making the score 3-1. Bates responded with three unanswered with Allard, midfielder Charlie Fay and attack Clark Jones for a 4-3 lead at the end of the first.
In the second quarter Jones scored again to add to the Bobcats lead, but back-to-back goals from senior attack Tyler McKelvie to tie the game. Fay scored once again before Hart fired right back for the Owls to maintain a tie game. The Owls took the lead after with goals from McKelvie and Reilly to cut the game to 8-7 at halftime.
At the beginning of the second half, junior midfielder John Debenedet tied the game for the Owls just 83 seconds into the second half. The Bobcats then scored four unanswered goals, two from Fay and one each from Jones and attack Max Breschi.
The Owls then went on a run of their own, scoring three unanswered goals coming from McKelvie, Reilly and Hart.
Breschi and midfielder Kyle Weber responded in lightning like fashion, taking the lead with under five minutes remaining. Down by one goal, junior Bryan Rotatori received a pass from Hart to thread a critical tying goal for the Owls at a score of 13. In heartbreaking fashio0n, Allard would thread the eventual game winning goal with 17 seconds left.
At the 11 second mark, the Owls attempted to put in the tying goal out of desperation, but could capitalize on a Bobcat player serving a penalty and lost the contest 14-13.
The Owls will look to regroup against Colby College Wednesday continuing their string of road games.
Nick Tocco can be contacted at ntocco@kscequinox.com
