MANSFIELD, Conn. -- Eleven different players contributed goals to lead the top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team into the championship game of the 2007 Little East Conference playoffs with a 21-4 win over fifth-seeded University of Southern Maine Thursday afternoon.

Eastern Connecticut (12-5) will host second-seeded Plymouth State University (12-4) Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the title game. The Panthers moved into their sixth straight final with a 10-2 home win over third-seeded Keene State College Thursday.

Against Southern Maine, Eastern Conn. scored the first eight goals and was never challenged. Eleven different players scored a goal and 12 had either a goal or assist. Sophomore attack Megan Gloster (Agawam, Mass.) and senior midfielder Kara Bradley (North Haven, Conn.) each had three goals, while Bradley added two assists and senior attack Meghan Feraco (Norwich, Conn.) four assists. Freshman midfielder Taylor MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, Mass.) won five ground balls and five draws. Senior goalie Erin Calkins (Stony Brook, N.Y.) made 11 saves.

Senior Virginia Flood (Acton, Maine/Wells) had two goals for Southern Maine. Freshman Jessica Knight (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) and senior Sarah Trent (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) each scored one. Junior goalie Katie Quartuccio (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Millbrook School) was credited with 14 saves.

Southern Maine (7-9) had upset the fourth-seeded University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 14-11, Tuesday in a quarterfinal-round game that moved it into the semifinal round for the first time. The Huskies finished their season with a school record seven wins.

The appearance in the playoff final will be the fifth in six years for Eastern Conn., which defeated Plymouth State to win the 2005 title. A month ago, the Warriors became the first team to defeat the Panthers in the regular season, 9-8, in overtime in a match played at Southern New Hampshire University.

Plymouth and Eastern have finished 1-2 in the final conference standings in each of the six years of conference play, Plymouth winning the first five in undefeated fashion. This year, Eastern won all six of its regular-season conference matches for the first time en route to its first regular-season conference title.

2007-05-04