WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University defense allowed only a free-kick goal in the sixth minute, and freshman midfielder Emily Becher (Brooklyn) broke a tie with her fifth and sixth goals of the year less than three minutes apart  in the Warriors' 3-1 Little East Conference victory over Keene State College Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

At right: The first shot to reach goal by freshman Maggie Bodington in her career went it in the first half and tied Saturday's Little East match against Keene State. The Warriors went on to a 3-1 victory. (Photo by Liam Murphy)

The win is the eighth straight for Eastern (5-3-1, 1-1-0 LEC) over Keene State (5-5-0, 1-1-0 LEC) on its home field. It was a re-match of last year's LEC playoff title game, won by Keene, 1-0 at Owl Stadium Complex.  Keene was ranked No. 1 in the 2014 LEC pre-season poll, Eastern No. 3

The teams traded 30-yard first-half free-kick goals by freshmen (both wearing uniform No. 5): Keene's Taylor Farland (Fiskdale, MA) and Eastern's Maggie Bodington (Stratford), before Becher scored twice inside 12 yards on her own rebounds midway through the second half.

On Becher's first goal – which gave Eastern the lead for good with 62:39 gone, Keene senior goalkeeper Victoria Crenson saved an initial shot from in close by Eastern senior Taylor Shannon (Waterford) – who was moved from back to forward to start the match -- then knocked down Becher's first attempt before Becher followed up another shot that a prone Crenson could not deny. Becher's second goal was a virtual carbon-copy of her first and came 2:24 later, as she scored her team-leading sixth goal to give Eastern a two-goal cushion.

The win was first at home in over three weeks for Eastern, which had dropped its last two overall to Western Connecticut, 1-0, in the LEC opener at Nevers Field, and Tuesday, 2-1, at Wesleyan University.

Keene, playing its first road match in 17 days,  struck early (5:38 gone) on Farland's team-leading fifth goal of the year. Farland drove a 30-yard free kick into the upper right-hand corner of the net, giving Eastern junior keeper Rachel Skelton (East Lyme) no chance to challenging.

One of the team's three starting backs, Bodington answered for Eastern with her first career goal on a free kick from a near-identical spot as Farland. Bodington's drive was perfectly-placed, sailing under the crossbar, with Crenson also helpless to make a play.

Thirty seconds after Becher's go-ahead goal, Farland had an opportunity to tie the game for Keene, when she had the ball on her front with room, but her shot sailed over the crossbar from 12 yards. With her team down 3-1, senior midfielder Maggie Grayson also had an opportunity to get the Owls on the board again, but she headed a perfectly-served cross over the cross bar with three minutes left.

Eastern looked to add to its lead in the closing minutes, when sophomore midfielder Hailey Lehning (Woodbury) beat two defenders and hit the crossbar with a left-footed shot. Freshman reserve Taylor Ross (Ansonia) was there for the rebound, but Keene sophomore reserve keeper Dannielle Warhall was there to make the save.

Eastern visits Connecticut College Tuesday at 4 p.m.