WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Sophomore forward Emily Becher (Brooklyn) and junior back Jamie Belden (Middlebury) converted penalty kick goals and the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team went on to a 2-1 Little East Conference victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston in a battle of conference co-leaders Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

Eastern (8-3-1, 4-0-0 LEC), which had allowed nine goals in two losses to UMass Boston (4-8-1, 3-1-0 LEC) last year, remained unbeaten at home all-time (10-0-2) against the Beacons, who had lost on penalty kicks in the LEC playoff final a year ago. UMB drops to 1-8-0 this year on its opponent's field.

The conference scoring leader, Becher was taken down twice in the box, setting up the team's two penalty kicks. Becher knocked in her LEC-leading tenth goal of the year with 16 minutes left in the first half and Belden made it 2-0 when she made good on her third goal of the season six minutes into the second half.

UMass cut the lead in half with nine minutes left when freshman forward Jaclyn O'Grady ruined LEC shutout leader Rachel Skelton's (East Lyme) bid for a seventh shutout when she scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season on a rebound with just under nine minutes left. Senior midfielder Natasha Stibor set up the goal when she won the ball on the right side, beat two Eastern defenders, and drilled a hard 12-yarder toward the far left post. Skelton came out to solidly knock the shot down but it landed at the feet of an unmarked O'Grady, who easily deposited it into the back of the net from six yards.

The Beacons did not seriously threaten to tie the match over the final nine minutes, but did make several runs in the box which did not yield dangerous shots.

With Eastern leading 2-0, both teams had chances to score before O'Grady's goal in the final minutes. Eastern sophomore midfielder McKenzie Reimondo (Portland) had an open 20-yarder when the ball deflected above the box to her, but the attempt sailed wide left with 20 minutes left. Two minutes later, sophomore back Maggie Bodington (Stratford) sent a pass from the right side to junior midfielder Hailey Lehning (Woodbury), but UMB freshman keeper Alyssa Fugiel made a diving save. With 15 minutes left, Bodington worked a give-and-go with Lehning, and her booming 30-yarder from the right side carried to the left of the far left post.

Eastern outshot UMass, 18-7, with Skelton making three saves and the 5-foot-9 inch Fugiel stopping ten Eastern shots.

Eastern hosts Trinity College Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference match at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.