Three Owl teams set for semifinal LEC Tournament play

KEENE, N.H. 11/3/10 – It’s on to the semifinals of the Little East Conference tournament for the Keene State women’s soccer and volleyball and field hockey teams.  All three teams will be on the road. 

Rolling to a 7-0 shutout win over sixth seed and rival Plymouth State in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, the Owl women’s soccer squad (14-5-2) will face second seed Western Conn. State University (13-4-1) in a semifinal round game in Danbury Conn. on Thursday (6 p.m.).  WCSU received a first-round bye.

The fourth seeded KSC field hockey team (16-5) needed an overtime goal by senior Leigh Smith (Sanbornton, N.H.) to squeak by fifth seed Fitchburg State 1-0 in first-round action on Tuesday.  The Owl will also be on the road, traveling to UMass-Dartmouth (13-7) for a semifinal game against the top-seeded Corsairs on Thursday (6 p.m.).  UMD advanced with a 2-1 quarterfinal win over eighth seed Salem State.

The second-seeded Keene State women’s volleyball team (23-11) will take on third seed Plymouth State (18-12) in their semifinal tournament game at UMass-Boston on Friday (4 p.m.). 

The Keene State women’s soccer team will be looking to avenge a tough 1-0 overtime loss to the Colonials earlier this season in Keene.  KSC Coach Denise Lyons expects another close game.  “They’re a very strong, physical team, so we’re going to have our hands full trying to beat them, especially on their turf field,” she said. 

“Hopefully we get used to the surface early and play out game,’ said junior back Shannon Hennessey (Essex Junction, Vt.). 

KSC and WCSU have a long LEC tournament history.  The two teams have faced each other eight times since the tournament began in 1999 with the series knotted at four wins each.  The Owls and Colonials have met three times in the semifinals with KSC winning all three games, including last season (2-0).  The two teams have hooked up five times in the finals with the Colonials holding a 4-1 advantage.

Top seed Eastern Conn. will face fourth seed UMass-Boston in the other semifinal game.  The two semifinal winners will meet for the championship on Saturday at the highest remaining seed.

The Keene State field hockey team will be facing UMass-Dartmouth for the second straight weekend.  Last Saturday, the Owls handed the Corsairs their only LEC loss of the season on a first half goal by freshman back Katlyn Simula (Bridgewater, N.H.).  KSC Coach Amy Watson said Saturday’s win will have no bearing on what happens at Cressy Field on Thursday.  “I don’t feel like it gives us any advantage,” she said.  “They outshot us and we just happen to finish on top.  If anything, they’re going to be super fired up to take us down.”

The two teams have met five times since tournament play began in 1998 with KSC holding a 4-1 series lead.  The Owls defeated the Corsairs in the 2002 quarterfinals and in the 1999 and 2005 semifinal round.  KSC and UMD have faced off each other three times in the championship game with the Owls prevailing in 2006 (2-1) and the Corsairs snapping KSC’s five-year title run with a 3-2 overtime win last fall.

Second seed Bridgewater State host third seed Plymouth State in the second semifinal game.  The semifinal winners will meet for the LEC crown at the highest remaining seed on Saturday.

KSC women’s volleyball team earned a first round bye while PSU moved on with a 3-0 win over sixth seed Rhode Island College. 

The Owls defeated the Panthers in a close five-set match (3-2) earlier this season, as Keene State pulled out a 16-14 decision in the decisive set in Keene on Oct. 5.  The top seeded Beacons face fourth seed Western Conn. in the second semifinal match.

In tournament action, PSU holds a 2-1 advantage over KSC.  The Panthers won quarterfinal matches in 2000 and 2004 while the Owls won a semifinal match in 2005.

The Championship game will be played at UMass-Boston on Saturday.