FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2012

SIXTH-SEEDED ANCHORWOMEN NEARLY UPSET THIRD-SEEDED EASTERN CONNECTICUT

Willimantic, Conn.-Senior attacker Nicky Drolet (Somersworth, NH) scored three straight times as part of a four-goal run to give Rhode Island College a 10-9 lead with 8:30 left to play, but Eastern Connecticut scored twice to edge the Anchorwomen, 11-10, in first round action of the 2012 Little East Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament.

Seeded sixth among six teams in the playoffs, Rhode Island College (4-11) battled third-seeded Eastern (12-6) in a match which featured five ties before the Warriors emerged with an 11-10 victory that pushed them into the LEC semifinals Friday at second-seeded Keene State at 4 p.m. The defending playoff champion Owls drew a first-round bye. In Friday’s other semifinal, No. 1 seed Plymouth State University will host fifth-seeded Western Connecticut, which eliminated fourth-seeded University of Southern Maine Tuesday, 12-10. The Anchorwomen's season comes to an end.

Senior attacker Molly Voyer in action vs. the Warriors

Drolet scored three successive goals in a six-minute span late in the game to give the Anchorwomen a 10-9 lead before the Warriors got strikes from former high school teammates Christina Rully (Orange, CT) and Daniela Marchitto (Orange, CT), both junior midfielders, to post their 13^th win over Rhode Island in as many series matches. Eastern had come away with a 14-7 victory at Mansfield in the LEC opener for both schools a month ago.

Eastern senior goalie Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton, CT) prevented the sixth tie of the match and certain overtime when she snagged a breakaway attempt by Rhode Island freshman attack Jessica Ricci (Hope, RI) as time expired. It appeared that Eastern would run out the clock when it had possession near midfield in the final seconds, but the Warriors turned the ball over when junior midfielder Courtney McKiernan (Hope, RI) picked up a ground ball and passed to sophomore attacker Ashley Signoriello (Cranston, RI). Signoriello found an unmarked Ricci ahead of the field with a perfect lead pass in the final seconds. Ricci’s shot fired a shot from close range but Ibsen was equal to the bid, collecting the eye-level shot as time ran out.

Neither team led by more than three goals and Eastern did not take its first lead until four minutes remained in the first half. With the Warriors down by one, senior attack Ashley Prizio (Brookfield, CT) – last year’s LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year – and sophomore attack Erin Conn (Moriches, NY) scored three goals three minutes apart to give the hosts a 7-5 halftime lead.

An unassisted goal by  Eastern sophomore midfielder Alexa Foldy (Brookfield, CT) made it 9-6 Eastern 10 minutes into the second half and the Warriors maintained a slight edge until Drolet scored three straight  to give her team a 10-9 lead with 8:30 left.

 Senior attacker Nicky Drolet

Former high school teammates Foldy and Prizio each had three goals for Eastern and Ibsen made six saves. Drolet led the Anchorwomen with six goals and an assist and Signoriello scored three. Senior midfielder Jenna Childs (Cranston, RI) won five draws and McKiernan came off the bench for five ground balls. Eastern sophomore midfielder Taylor Shannon (Waterford, CT) won nine of 17 draws after taking only 22 all season long and also picked up four ground balls. Prizio won five draws and Rully led the Warriors with five ground balls.  Rhode Island sophomore goalie Taryn Carbone (Cranston, RI) made eight saves, five in the second half.

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