DANBURY, Conn. -- Freshman Rosie Forster (Andover, Mass.) scored a game-high five goals as the University of Southern Maine women's lacrosse team built a 10-5 lead midway through the second half before hanging on to defeat Western Connecticut State University 10-9 in a Little East Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Westside Athletic Complex.

            The win was the second straight for the Huskies who improve to 4-8 overall and remain unbeaten (2-0) in conference play.  The Colonials dropped their second straight game to fall back to .500 at 6-6 overall and 1-2 in conference games.

            Forster scored four of her five goals in the first half to help give the Huskies a 6-5 advantage at the break.  Sophomore Shelby Turcotte (Lewiston, Maine) had a pair of goals, and classmate Lauren Santo (Salem, N.H.) chipped in a pair of assists.  Second-year goalie Samantha Kiesel (Lakeville, Mass.) played a big role making a season-high 17 saves.

            Sophomore Nicole Perrone (Brookfield, Conn.) led the Colonials scoring three times and passing out one assist.  Sophomore Devon Edwards (Islip, N.Y.) contributed two goals, and junior Brianna Mitterando (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) and sophomore Emily Brooks (Kingston, N.Y.) each had a goal and an assist.  Rookie goalie Karli Portnoy (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) stopped nine shots.

            Forster scored three goals in a span of less than five minutes midway through the first half to give USM a 6-3 lead.  Perrone scored an unassisted goal and Mitterando added a free-position goal before halftime to pull Western Conn. within one.

            Turcotte, Forster, senior Erica Higginbotham (Winthrop, Mass.) and sophomore Samantha Purcell (Durham, Maine/Lisbon) scored over the opening 18 minutes of the second half to give the Huskies an apparently comfortable 10-5 lead.

            Over a five-minute span, the Colonials scored four unanswered goals to get back within one with 4:04 to play.  Edwards had the first two goals, followed by single tallies from Brooks and Perrone.  The Huskies were able to control the ball most of the final four minutes after Perrone's goal to preserve the victory.

            Southern Maine hosts LEC foe Rhode Island College on Tuesday (4:00 p.m.).  Western Connecticut looks to rebound at Vassar College on Tuesday (4:30 p.m.).

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