Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore Tamar Merheb's (Bethel) first goal in five weeks with ten minutes left proved to be the game-winner as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team regained a share of second place in the Little East Conference with a 2-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston Monday night at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
Merheb drilled a 25-yard free kick into the upper right-hand corner of the net to snap a 1-1 tie in the 80th minute as Eastern (7-7-0, 4-1-0 Little East) remained unbeaten in the all-time series with UMass (10-5-0, 3-2-0 Little East), improving to 16-0-2.
Because this match had been postponed Saturday due to wet field conditions, Eastern and UMass had entered the night sharing third place in the conference, three points behind second-place Western Connecticut State University and six points behind LEC leader Keene State College. With the victory, Eastern locks up one of the LEC playoff berths accorded the top six teams in the final standings and remains in a tie with Western for second place and one of two first-round tournament byes. (Eastern holds the tie-breaker over Western by virtue of its 2-0 regular-season road win over the Colonials Oct 1.
The teams traded goals Monday before Merheb blasted her first game-winning goal of the season and first goal overall since Sept. 11. Junior Kelly Wallace's (South Windsor) fourth goal of the year – first in nearly three weeks – gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute, but the Beacons answered four minutes into the second half when senior Kristin Mulry scored an unassisted goal. Wallace worked a give-and-go with junior Daniela Marchitto (Orange), beating UMB freshman keeper Dani Perkins on a shot near the right post that rolled inside the far left post. Mulry scored her eighth goal of the season following a UMB corner kick when she averted a defender and hit a hard line drive past Eastern senior keeper Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield).
UMass entered the match leading the LEC in most goals scored and least allowed and featured the LEC's top scorer in freshman Krista Ledin. Ledin uncorked four of her team's nine shots, but forced MacLeod to save only one. Two of her shots ran just one, however, including one in the first half on a break from the right flank that beat MacLeod but travelled just wide of the left post.Early in the second half, Ledin had a 1v1 opportunity with MacLeod but drilled the ball off the near post.
Moments before Wallace's go-ahead goal, Perkins had made a leaping save of a long Eastern free kick, barely getting her gloves on the drive and knocking it away from the goal. Leading 2-1, the Warriors made a bid to add insurance, but Perkins made a save on a shot by Tamar Merheb in the 80th minute, and a minute later, senior Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel) headed a long cross just wide.
The contest was a re-match of last year's LEC semifinals at Mansfield, which ended in a 1-1 overtime tie. The Beacons advanced on penalty kicks, losing to Western in the title match.
Eastern hosts Trinity College Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
