MANSFIELD, Mass. – Behind a three-goal second half, Eastern Connecticut State University posted a Little East Conference win over UMass Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon. The Wolves move to 8-2-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the LEC with a 4-1 victory, while the Corsairs are now 2-7-2 and 1-4-1 in conference play.
It was a defensive battle in the opening half of action as the Warriors recorded the game's first shot with a low center ball from senior midfielder Emily Dunlea being saved by Corsairs netminder
Emma Juelis in the fifth minute of play. A shot from junior defender Jordan Fabry in the 11th minute saw another Juelis stop and the Corsairs continued to hold the home team at bay.
Fabry played the hero for Eastern Connecticut State, launching a shot into the lower left corner to give the Warriors the 1-0 lead in the 29th minute. The Warriors continued to test Juelis, firing three shots on net after the tally, but the junior held strong to end the opening 45 minutes of action.
Into the second half of action, the Warriors got things going quickly as rookie forward Emily McKelvey fired a shot into the lower left corner of the net to make it a 2-0 advantage just 49 seconds into the half.
The Corsairs had an outstanding opportunity off the foot of sophomore forward
Kiariana Williams, but her shot went just right in the 51st minute, which was quickly followed by another just wide shot from sophomore forward
Natalie Frazier seconds later. UMass Dartmouth had another solid chance in the 62nd minute as a shot by sophomore defender
Emilie Trainque was stopped low by Warriors goalie Kaeden Dublin.
UMass Dartmouth – following a shot on goal by senior forward
Madison Depina – got on the board in the 71st minute as a corner kick in from Trainque bounced in front. Depina appeared to get a head on it and as it went into the air, the ball was misplaced by the Warriors goalkeeper and into the net to make it a 2-1 game.
Despite the momentum for the visitors, it was the home team that capitalized once more as sophomore forward Michaela Gasparri fired a shot into the low left corner off an assist from Fabry to make it a 3-1 game in the 81st minute.
The Warriors added to their advantage in the 85th minute on the second goal of the game from McKelvey as she fired it into the left corner off a helper from Gasparri.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Mass. Maritime Academy for a 7pm match against the Buccaneers.
