Lacrosse Wins LEC Championships
Owl Laxers Head To NCAA Tournament
Bryan Rotatori scored a game-high five goals to lead the Keene State College men’s lacrosse team to a 23-12 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University in the championship game of the Little East Conference tournament on Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex.
It’s the sixth tournament title for Keene State (12-4), who also won in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2014. Keene State will play at Bates College on Wednesday, May 6, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Senior midfielder Ryan Hart was selected as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Hart totaled four goals, two assistns in today’s game and added three goals, three assists in the semifinal round against Western Connecticut.
Tyler McKelvie, Tyler Reilly and Ryan Hart each scored four goals in the game, while Rob Hart added three tallies and two assists. Hunter Arnold finished with two goals and three helpers. Goalkeeper Dylan Florian made 14 saves in the win.
Meanwhile, sophomore Taylor Graf scored the game-winning goal with 37 seconds remaining in the game Saturday afternoon to lift second-seeded Keene State College to a dramatic 10-9 victory over top-seeded Plymouth State University in the Little East Conference Women’s Lacrosse Tournament championship game at the New Hampton School field.
Keene State rallied from a three-goal deficit (7-4) with 17 minutes to play in the second half, and a two-goal differential (9-7) with less than five minutes to go. Senior Christa Demovellan tallied consecutive goals for the Owls to tie the score, an unassisted marker with 4:18 to play and one on a free-position shot with 2:42 to play to set up Graf’s game-winner.
Demovellan was named the LEC Most Outstanding Player for Keene State after finishing with a game-high four goals. Keene State, 7-11 overall, captured its fourth Little East Tournament Championship and will receive the LEC’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships. Keene State won previous Little East Tournaments in 2009, 2011 and 2012. The Owls will play St. Joseph’s College (Long Island) at Trinity College (CT) on Saturday, May 9.
