Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth junior Talia D'Ambruoso (Warwick, R.I.) drew the Corsairs even with Eastern Connecticut State University prior to the halftime intermission, but the Warriors converted a pair of corner kicks midway through the second half to earn the 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon in a Little East Conference women's soccer match on Nevers Field.
UMass Dartmouth (7-6-2) earned the No. 4 seed and home field advantage in the opening round of the 2015 Little East Conference Women's Soccer Championship tournament. The Corsairs will host fifth-seeded Keene State College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Eastern Connecticut (13-3-1) secured the top seed and will await the winner between the Corsairs and Owls in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 5.
After nearly 44 minutes of scoreless action, both teams traded goals 43 seconds apart to enter the intermission tied at 1. Eastern Connecticut sophomore Nikki Basilicato (Guilford, Conn.) tucked a left-footed shot underneath the cross bar for her fifth marker of the season. UMass Dartmouth answered less than a minute later, when D'Ambruoso bounced a free kick off a Warrior defender and into the back of the net.
Eastern Connecticut scored the eventual game-winning goal, when sophomore Anna Manser (Manchester, Conn.) leaped through a crowd and finished the feed from classmate Maggie Bodington (Stratford, Conn.) in the 65th minute. Less than five minutes later, Bodington served in another corner kick that sophomore Krista Petersen (Wallingford, Conn.) deflected off a Corsair defender for an insurance goal.
Sophomore Madison Boucher (Southampton, Mass.) played all 90 minutes in net and recorded nine saves. Rachel Skelton (East Lyme, Conn.) made one stop to earn the win.
Eastern Connecticut held a 20-4 advantage in shots and 8-1 lead in corner kicks.
