Box Score BOSTON, Mass. – The first ten years of the Eastern Connecticut State University-Massachusetts Boston women's soccer Little East Conference rivalry wasn't much of one. After the opening minutes, the match wasn't much of one, either, with the Warriors winning the first 11 by a combined 59-1 margin.
In the 22nd renewal of the rivalry Saturday morning at the Clark Athletic Center Field, the game wasn't much of one after the opening minutes. This time, however, it was the Beacons who ran away early.
Following a pair of 1-0 wins over UMass Boston (5-2-3, 3-0-0 LEC) a year ago, Eastern (5-5-1, 1-2-0) surrendered three goals in the first 13 minutes Saturday and took a four-goal deficit into the final minutes before ultimately dropping a 4-1 decision.
The victory was only the second for UMass over Eastern in the series which dates back to 1995, but the Beacons are 2-5-2 against the Warriors in the last nine confrontations since losing the first 13 meetings between the programs – most always by lopsided scores.
Now 4-0-1 in its last five games since a 1-2-2 start, UMass keeps pace with Western Connecticut State University in the LEC race. With its fourth loss in five games, Eastern drops from a share of third place into a tie for fifth place with Plymouth State University in the conference.
After pulling half of their starters with 20 minutes to play, Eastern got on the board with under 15 minutes to play, when freshmen Danielle Wendland (Hamden) and Nikki Basilicato (Guilford) teamed to beat UMass senior keeper Dani Perkins that broke up the shutout bid. Wendland took a feed from Basilicato and lofted a shot over a charging Perkins for her second career goal – first since the third match of the year.
Eastern started six newcomers in the match, five of them freshmen.
Eastern hosts Amherst College Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex. The Lord Jeffs are ranked first in New England, 11th in Division III.
