Springfield, MA --- Western New England sophomore Kaitlynn Stevens (Stratford, CT) put up a career-best nine points with eight goals as she helped lead the top-seeded Golden Bears to a 17-11 triumph over #5 Worcester State in the ECAC Division III New England Women's Lacrosse Semifinals this afternoon.
The Golden Bears (15-5) will now play #2 Mount Holyoke in the championship game as they try to vie for their fourth crown. The Lancers end their fine season at 13-6 overall - a program record for wins in one campaign - in their third ECAC Tournament Semifinals appearance.
For Western New England, freshman Taylor Scialdone (Yorktown Heights, NY) also chipped in with six points (four goals - two assists) and junior Kelsey Sherman (Buchanan, NY) added four helpers.
Defensviely, Kaitlyn Stevens tied for the game lead with seven draws, first-year Megan Clune (Scotia, NY) picked up for ground balls and graduate student Megan Doyle (Putnam Valley, NY) registered a trio of ground balls and a pair of forced miscues.
Freshman Kalia Chase (Northbridge, MA) propelled the Lancers with a team-best four goals while teammate Jackie Connors (Ashland, MA) netted a hat-trick with two dishes. Senior Daryl Powell (Agawam, MA) and junior Vicki O'Brien (Canton, MA) both finished with one goal and one assist each.
Connors was a force for the Lancers on the back line with seven draws and game-highs of five ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers. Sophomore Angela Grassetti (Agawam, MA) also impressed the home crowd with four ground ball and a pair of draw controls.
Western New England opened the contest with a 5-2 run over the games first 14 minutes of play with a duo of markers scored by Stevens and three which were aided by Sherman.
After O'Brien and Chase helped the Lancers get within goal at the 14:11 mark (5-4), the Golden Bears ended the period with a 5-2 surge to close out the half for the 10-6 advantage.
Stevens poured in three more goals for five at the intermission.
Western New England started off the second frame with a 4-1 spurt to open up a 14-7 lead with 17:46 left.
However, Worcester State didn't go away quietly with three consecutive goals by sophomore Jaclyn Lawlor (Westford, MA), Connors and Chase to trail, 14-10 with 14:09 remaining. But the Golden Bears ran out the clock and ended the contest with a 3-1 mini run for the final score.
Sophomore Melissa Perry (Somers, CT) earned the win for Western New England as she stopped seven of the 16 shots she saw on net before she was relieved by classmate Emily Castleman (Wilbraham, MA) who played the final 16:21.
Senior Alex Chisholm (N. Brookfield, MA) tallied 10 saves as she finishes with the single-season record for triumphs in a season with 13.
Chase joins elite company as the fourth player with 50 points in her first season of play as Connors and sophomore Molly Kilday (Westford, MA) have also joined the list in 2013. Chase wraps up her season with 51 points - 40 for goals.
Powell ends her career 17th on the all-time scoring list with 37 goals and 20 assists for 57 points while O'Brien and Lawlor are now eighth (87 points) and tenth (80 points), respectively.