PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Senior Daniela Marchitto (Orange) recorded her second career hat trick to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team to a 4-1 Little East Conference victory over Plymouth State University Saturday afternoon at Panther Field.

Since going scoreless through the first four matches of the season, Marchitto has answered with five goals and 11 points in the last three outings for Eastern (4-2-1, 2-0-0 LEC), which won for the 14th straight time over Plymouth (1-5-0, 0-2-0) and iimproved its regular-season conference record under 13th-year head coach Chris D'Ambrosio to 89-33-6 (75.0 percent). The Warriors have allowed more than one goal in just one of those 14 matches.

Marchitto,  now third all-time at Eastern with 90 career points, scored once in the first half and twice in the second to help stake the Warriors to  a 3-0 lead  before junior Sam D'Agati got the hosts on the board by connecting on a penalty kick after the Pantehrs were taken down in the box five minutes into the second half.

Senior Chelsea Downer (Colchester) also scored  her fifth goal of the season - giving her a share of the team lead with Marchitto. Both also have 11 points. 
 
Marchitto put the Warriors on the board just five minutes into the contest when she received a pass from senior Kelly Wallace (South Windsor) near the top of the box, spun around and fired the ball into the right side of the goal.  Eastern extended the lead to 2-0 midway through the first half when Downer came down the right side with the ball, made a nice move to the inside past a PSU defender and knocked the ball past an outstretched Panther keeper.
           
Plymouth's  best chances to score from the field came on pair of shots by sophomore Emily Bell, but one went over the crossbar and the other was stopped by Eastern senior keeper Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield).
           
Marchitto tallied her second goal of the game for Eastern just two minutes into the second half to push the Warriors' lead to 3-0. Marchitto, last year's LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year, receiving a touch pass on the left side from junior Tamar Merheb (Bethel) and finishing off the goal for her second of the game.

The assist for Wallace was her team-leading fourth of the year and 23rd of her career, moving her into sole possession of fifth place all-time. Wallace has led the team in assists twice, with a career-high ten coming during her freshman season.
          
The Warriors finished with a 19-10 margin in shots and  despite starting two freshmen and two sophomores on the back line, did not allow a corner kick

MacLeod made four saves to  improve her record to 4-1-1 this season.

The match was the first on its opponents' turf for Eastern, which had played five hoeme matches  and one neutral-site game until Saturday.

Eastern hosts Salem State University in a non-conference match at 7 p.m. at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.