WILLIMANTIC, Conn. --  The Fitchburg State University men's soccer team could not capitalize on two prime chances in the first eight minutes, and Eastern Connecticut State University was finally able to beat freshman keeper Alex Alzaibak ten minutes into the second half in a 1-0 non-conference victory at Thomas Nevers Field.

At right: Sophomore forward Alejandro Tobon moves the ball in the second half of Tuesday's 1-0 non-conference victory at Thomas Nevers Field. (Photo by Christine Edison)

 After Fitchburg (5-8-0) was denied twice from in close by Eastern (8-3-2) sophomore keeper Greg Walton (Brunswick) in the opening minutes, Eastern dominated play but could only beat Alzaibak once – when freshman midfielder Adam Traxler (Newburyport, MA) carried from near midfield to the top of the circle after sophomore back Xavier Doran (Hebron) played a ball out of the back to him, and chipped the ball over the head Alzaibak and just under the crossbar.

The Warriors had a multitude of chances in both both halves, but Alzaibak – making his first career start -- was equal to the task in the first start of his career. The solid six-footer made 12 saves on Eastern's 23 shots. Fitchburg, which managed only one corner kick put three of its four first-half shots on net, but Walton stopped all three and went on to his fifth shutout in 13 starts this season.

Eastern's defense stood tall in front of Walton in the second half -- lowering its team goals-against average to 0.60 with its sixth shutout -- limiting the Falcons to just one shot, which was saved by Walton. Fitchburg's best opportunity to tie the match in the second half came midway through the half, when Walton came off his line with a sliding grab on a ball that was deflected backward off an Eastern defender on an attempted clearing pass at the top of the box.

The Warriors supplied constant pressure throughout – particularly in the second half – but only Traxler was able to get the best of Alzaibak. The goal was the fourth of the season for Traxler -- one of four newcomers in the Eastern starting lineup – and was his first game-winning one since  providing the Warriors with a 1-0 win in their season-opener at Castleton State College.

In the second half – minutes after Fitchburg was assessed yellow cards within a span of less than four minutes – sophomore forward Alejandro Tobon (West Hartford), Doran (twice), senior forward Jon DeCasanova (Glastonbury) and freshman forward Sean Conway (Southington) all attempted – without success – to expand Eastern's one-goal lead. Alzaibak denied Tobon's sinking shot at the left post, then grabbed Doran's acrobatic header of a corner kick by sophomore midfielder Nicholas Warren (Southbury). Seconds later, DeCasanova's header in the box on a long serve by Traxler sailed just wide of the right post. With 13 minutes left, Conway nailed a shot from point-blank range that Alzaibak punched out, and Doran followed with a 30-yard bomb which carried wide of the left post.

Alzaibak also got a helping hand from his defense, when a teammate stepped onto the back line to knock down an Eastern shot from inside the box and keep the Fitchburg deficit at one goal.

The shutout win is the sixth in the last eight meetings for Eastern against Fitchburg. This year, the Warriors have won three straight and seven of their last eight since a 1-2-2 start.

Fitchburg has lost four straight and five of six.

Eastern visits Rhode Island College Saturday at 1 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.