Women's Lacrosse Eliminated from MASCAC Tournament with 16-13 Loss at Worcester

Worcester, Mass. – Sophomores Morghan Cassella (Lowell, Mass.) and Kimmy Foley (Mansfield, Mass.) scored four goals apiece but it was not enough as the fifth seeded Framingham State University women's lacrosse team was eliminated from the 2016 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Championship Tournament with a 16-13 loss to fourth seed Worcester State University this afternoon.

Worcester State University's Mackenzie Little (Marlboro, Mass.) and Jackie Connors (Ashland, Mass.) combined for 10 points to lead the Lancers.

Worcester State's Little put the Lancers on the scoreboard first with a free position shot just two minutes into the game. Connors followed with an unassisted goal to give the Lancers a two-point lead.

Cassella was the first to score for the Rams when she cut the Blue and Gold's lead in half with 21:12 remaining in the half. Worcester State then responded with three unanswered goals.

The Lancers and Rams went back-to-back with goals to keep the gap at three, though the Rams ended the half with two goals of their own with Foley netting one and then Claryssa Cunniff (Framingham, Mass.) snuck another past Worcester's goaltender.

Worcester State started the scoring in the second half when Little scored her third goal of the game. Moments later Framingham State tied the game up for the first time when Shae Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.) and Kristen Hoggins (Harvard, Mass.) fired two successive shots into the net. The two teams traded goals down the stretch with Worcester extending the lead to five with just over 10 remaining before the Rams cut it two three with just over a minute remaining.

Little totaled six goals and one assist, while Connors tallied four goals and three assists. Alexis Vecchiarelli (Agawam, Mass.) and Amanda Pruyn (Tyngsboro, Mass.) each added two goals while Kaila Chase (Northbridge, Mass.) and Alaina Martin (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) chipped in one apiece.

Leading the Rams was Casella with five points (four goals and one assist) and Foley with four of her own. Sophomore Mallory Fredericks logged two goals while Riley, Cunniff, and Hoggins each tallied one goal.

Worcester State's Krissy Pessa (Wapole, Mass.) earned her ninth win of the season in a seven save performance, while Indigo Fox Tree-McGrath (Bedford, Mass.) suffered the loss in a 15 save game.

The Lancers will move onto the MASCAC semifinals on Thursday (May 5) when they will travel to top seed Westfield State.  The Rams await word on a  possible birth in the ECAC Tournament next week.

Portions of release courtesy of WSU Sports Information