PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Top-seeded Vermont State University Castleton and second-seeded Keene State College will meet in the 2024 Little East Conference Championship Tournament final following their respective semifinal victories Thursday. The Spartans will host the tournament final Saturday at 5 p.m. at Dave Wolk Stadium.
 
No. 1 Vermont State Castleton 2, No. 5 Southern Maine 1
 
The Huskies (7-14) got out to a fast start, controlling the opening quarter with a 5-0 advantage in shots and a 4-1 edge on corners. That opening pressure paid off in the 11th-minute when Emma Samson put home her first goal of the season off a feed from Norie Tibbets.
 
That score held until the 45th-minute when Arianna Spiezio tied things up with her seventh goal of the year. The field tilted in Castleton’s favor from there, as the Spartans outshot USM 8-1 in the final quarter and regained the lead for good on Emilee Higgins’ sixth goal of the season with 4:40 remining in the contest.
 
Zoe Martin had four saves to earn the decision in goal for the Spartans, who ended the contest with a 15-11 advantage in shots and an 11-8 margin on penalty corners. Eleanor Folsom totaled six saves while taking the loss in goal for the Huskies.
 
No. 2 Keene State 4, No. 3 Plymouth State 2
 
The Owls (15-6) scored three unanswered goals after entering the fourth quarter with a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Panthers (10-9) and secure their berth in the LEC tournament final. Irini Stefanakos go things going with her 11th goal of the year to tie the score a 2-2 just 1:18 into the final frame. Grace Bazin followed with her LEC-leading 25th goal of the year in the 52nd-minute before Jennifer Erickson’s third of the year capped the scoring in the 55th-minute.
 
Plymouth State jumped out to an early lead as Taylor Healey opened the scoring with her 15th goal of the year just 34 seconds into the match, and grabbed a 2-1 lead with 1:46 left in the third quarter on Jenna Stowell’s sixth goal of the season. Molly Murray’s 10th goal of the year for the Owls came 5:19 into the game to knot the score at 1-1.

Clara Gorman picked up the decision in goal after stopping one of the three shots on goal she faced. Kayla Antonucci took the loss in goal after allowing four goals and making six saves.
 
Keene State outshot Plymouth State 18-6 in the game and had a 9-3 advantage on corners.
 
LEC Tournament Final Notes

• VTSU Castleton will host the LEC final for the second time since joining the league in 2018, which also marked its first LEC title game appearance.
• The Spartans are in the LEC final for the second time in three seasons. Their last appearance saw them win the program’s first-ever LEC title in 2022 at Southern Maine.
• Keene State is in the LEC Final for the 20th time in program history. The Owls have a LEC-record 14 conference title wins since the first LEC tournament in 1998.
• KSC is looking to snap a three-game losing streak in the LEC Final. Their last title win was in 2018 at Castleton, 2-1.