WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – A year ago, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team was unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in New England and escaped with a one-goal road victory against an Amherst College team with a .500 record.

Tuesday, the roles were reversed. Ranked No. 1 in New England and unbeaten, Amherst (9-0-0) broke a tie with  just over 13 minutes left to trim a .500 Eastern team (6-7-0) by the same 2-1 score at Thomas Nevers Field.

Ranked eighth nationally as one of  seven undefeated teams (three have won all of their matches)  in Division III, Amherst got a go-ahead goal  from sophomore forward Amanda Brisco with eight minutes left in the first half, then snapped a tie with just over 13 minutes left for its tenth win in this series with Eastern against four losses and three ties.

The loss is the third straight this year for Eastern, which tied the match  14 minutes into the second  half on junior forward Daniela Marchitto's (Orange) team-leading ninth goal of the year on an assist from sophomore  midfielder Kaitlyn Kennedy (Burlington), who recorded her first career point with the pass that sprung Marchitto in the right flat.

Brisco gave  Amherst a 1-0 lead on a pass from junior midfielder Kathrun Nathan. Brisco took several touches past Eastern defenders and fired a perfectly-place, low hard shot from 18 yards that sailed just inside the left post. After Marchitto's game-tying goal,  junior back Emily Little  (Sherbon, MA) settled a pass in the box from sophomore midfielder Ellen Ingebritsen (Portola Valley, CA) , turned, and volleyed a beautiful shot  from the top of the box into the upper right-hand corner of the net behond a leaping Eastern junior keeper Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield).

Brisco, Ingebritsen and Little all came off the bench for Amherst.

Eastern came within a whisker of forcing overtime as time expired. Following a quick corner kick, Eastern knocked the ball into the box, where sophomore back Tamar Merheb (Bethel) got a foot on it directly in front of Amherst keeper Allie Horwitz,  but the ball deflected off a defender in front of the net as the horn sounded.

MacLeod made five saves while Horwitz made one while allowing only her second goal of the season. She entered the match ranked first nationally in save percentage and fourth in goals-against average. Amherst entered the match ranked third nationally in shutout percentage.

Amherst sophomore forward  Sarah Duffy created  a number of outstanding scoring chances in the second half of the match but could not finish them off. MacLeod saved one at the left post and leaped to grab another near the cross bar, and one hit the crossbar.  Tamar Merheb had Eastern's other best scoring chance when she banged a long free kick off the cross bar with the Warriors down 1-0 with two minutes left in the first half.

Eastern returns to action Saturday when it hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston at 1 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.