Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – Freshman Emily Crawford came off the bench to score her first career goal midway through the second half and freshman Annaliese Schmidt made six saves for her second career shutout as the Plymouth State University women's soccer team ended a 14-match losing streak at the hands of Eastern Connecticut State University with a 1-0 Little East Conference triumph Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
At right: Eastern's five seniors were honored prior to the match. (Photo by Liam Murphy)
Having already been eliminated for conference playoff contention, Plymouth (6-12-0, 2-5-0 LEC) had lost four of its previous five entering the match, but handed Eastern its fifth 1-0 loss this season and recorded its first triumph over the Warriors since a 3-1 home victory in 1998 – the ninth straight win for the Panthers over Eastern but the last until Saturday.
Eastern's loss – coupled with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's 1-0 home win over Western Connecticut State University – leaves the Warriors as the No. 5 seed and visiting No. 4 Western in a first-round LEC playoff match Tuesday. Defending champion Massachusetts Boston shares the regular-season title with Keene State but is the No. 1 seed based on its regular-season victory over the Owls. Massachusetts Dartmouth and Western share third place, with Eastern fifth and the University of Southern Maine sixth. The top two seeds gain byes, with UMass Dartmouth hosting Southern Maine in the other first-round match Tuesday.
At right: Head coach Chris D'Ambrosio couldn't bear to watch his team's first loss to Plymouth in 15 years. (Photo by Liam Murphy)
Western trimmed Eastern, 1-0, when the teams met in mid-September in Danbury.
Saturday, Eastern outshot Plymouth 14-6 and held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks, limiting the Panthers to only one first-half shot, but could not break through. The Panthers broke the scoreless deadlock in the 63rd minute when Eastern freshman keeper Chelsea Santos (Windsor Locks) was unable to possess Cawford's shot, which was set up by senior Carol Messler. The drive caromed off the top of the crossbar and kicked to the ground, but Santos was unable to handle the ball as it landed just over the goal line.
Schmidt made four saves in the second half, with three of her game saves coming against Eastern senior Tamar Merheb (Bethel). Merheb threatened several times, taking six of the team's shots. Merheb made a bid to give the Warriors the lead in the first minute of play, but her header off a cross from sophomore Brianna Curcio (Southbury) drew the crossbar and bounced
away.
Curcio nearly set up senior Blair Church (New London) with the first goal midway through the first half but the shot sailed just wide. Schmidt made an early save off a shot from Eastern senior Kaitlyn Kennedy (Burlington) that was set up by Merheb, and Schmidt came up big again on a bid by senior Nicole Leonard (Rutherford, NJ) eight minutes later. Leonard, one of five Eastern players competing in the final regular-season home matches of their careers, threatened again with eight minutes left in the half on another feed from Curcio.
At right: Brianna Curcio (Photo by Liam Murphy)
For Eastern, 12 of its 17 regular-season matches ended in shutout. While it lost five 1-0 decision, Eastern won the same number.
Prior to the match, Eastern honored its five seniors and their parents: Kennedy, Megan Godwin (Manchester), Merheb, Leonard and Blair Church (New London).
