Fitchburg State Scores One At Becker, 20-4

Falcons earn NEWLA bid with 12th victory of the season

LEICESTER, Mass. (April 30, 2011) – The Fitchburg State women's lacrosse team earned a 2011 playoff berth this afternoon, downing Becker College, 20-4 in New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance action.

With the victory, Fitchburg State (12-2, 5-2 NEWLA) earns the third seed in the 2011 NEWLA Tournament, while Becker concludes the season with an overall record of 6-9 and a 1-6 mark in the conference.

Junior Amanda Burns (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) paved the way for Fitchburg State, scoring a game-high seven points with five goals and two assists, while junior Kelly Finamore (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) added five points with four scores and one helper. Senior Connie Perry (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) and sophomore Samantha Bonasera (Chelsea, Vt./Chelsea) rounded out the Falcons top scorers with three points apiece, combining for four goals and two dishes.

Fitchburg State controlled the contest from the start, posting a 13-2 lead by the break, including  6-1 lead just eight minutes into the contest. The Falcons continued their scoring streak in the second half, adding seven more goals with scores from Avery Neusch (Windham, N.H./Salem High), Erin Murphy (Warwick, R.I./Warwick Memorial) and Kristen Dooley (Salem, Mass./Salem) before turning into possession mode for the final 20 minutes of the contest.

Between the pipes, freshman Dylana Drolette (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) earned the victory, posting ten saves in her complete game effort. The Falcons controlled all facets of the game, posting an 18-7 advantage in ground balls, 14-12 margin in draw controls and dominating 36-16 advantage in shots.

The 2011 NEWLA Tournament is set to square off this Wednesday, May 4th at the highest remaining seed. Third-seeded Fitchburg State will visit second-seeded Castleton State, while top-seeded Bridgewater State will play host to fourth-seeded Westfield State.