FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2008

ANCHORWOMEN FALL AT EASTERN CONNECTICUT IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
RIC To Face Corsairs in First Round of LEC Tournament

Mansfield, CT- The Eastern Connecticut State University women’s lacrosse team posted its second straight unbeaten Little East Conference regular season with a 17-5 victory over Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon.

Eastern (9-6, 6-0) had already been assured of at least a share of the regular-season conference title and the No. 1 seed entering the match against Rhode Island College (3-11, 1-5). The win is Eastern’s 15^th straight over a three-year period in regular-season conference play. The Warriors are the defending LEC post-season champion.

Eastern and second-seeded University of Southern Maine receive byes into Thursday’s semifinals. Eastern will host semifinal-round matches at 4:30 p.m.

Leading 4-3, Eastern outscored Rhode Island 13-2 the rest of the way, holding the Anchorwomen without a goal for nearly 27 minutes. The Anchorwomen scored with 40 seconds left in the first half to make it 8-4, then when scoreless until freshman attack Suany Almonte (Warwick, RI) broke through with four minutes left in the match. The Warriors scored eight straight goals in that span. Senior attack Lily Anderson (Portland, ME) scored three of her career-high total of six goals in that stretch. Anderson broke the 40-goal mark in the match and now has a team-high 44 entering the LEC tournament.

Senior attack Megan Gloster (Agawam, MA) chipped in four assists to improve her team-leading number to 22 – the sixth-highest total in a season in program history. Anderson closed out the regular season by scoring 20 goals in the final four matches.

Junior defender Jackie Bivona (Middlebury, CT) picked up a career-high eight ground balls and also caused a career-high five turnovers. Junior midfielder Natalie Sims (Carle Place, NY) won a career-high seven draws, while sophomore midfielder Taylor MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, MA) collected four ground balls, won three draws and caused two turnovers.

On Seniors’ Day, all four Eastern seniors scored goals. In addition to Anderson and Gloster, defender Meghan Harris (Bedford, MA) scored the first goal of her career with 17 minutes left, and attack Jessica Scheno (Lindenhurst, NY) notched her 14^th goal of the year with five minutes left in the first half.

In addition to scoring two goals, Almonte led RIC with five ground balls while senior Sydney Culbertson (North Kingstown, RI) improved her team-leading goal total to 34 with two goals. They were the team’s only goal-scorers, however.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will face third-seeded Keene State on the road in first round action of the 2008 Little East Conference Women’s Lacrosse Tournament on Tuesday, Apr. 29.

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