Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore defender Maggie Bodington (Stratford) contributed to all three goals by scoring the first and assisting on the other two to lift the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team to a 3-0 non-conference win over Fitchburg State University Wednesday evening at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
A winner of four straight, Eastern (11-3-1) broke a scoreless game with 20 minutes left in the first half on Bodington's left-footed drive from outside the box which carried above the leap of Fitchburg ( (2-13-0) junior keeper Morgan Steele and skimmed the bottom of the crossbar. On the goal, Bodington worked a give-and-go with junior midfielder
Hailey Lehning (Woodbury) at the near sideline, receiving a return pass on the right wing. She quickly shifted gears with the ball, cutting into the middle of the field, and on her third touch, unloaded a strike in stride inside the far left post, leaving Steele helpless to defend the goal.
The Warriors protected that lead until Bodington set up team scoring leader
Emily Becher (Brooklyn) on near-identical scoring plays – serves to the far left post headed in by the All-New England Region sophomore forward. The first came on a corner kick and the second on a long serve from in front of the Eastern bench. Bodington has eight points in the last three matches, with her two assists against Fitchburg giving her a team-high total of six. The assist was the third of the year for Lehning, who has also contributed three goals.
Making her first start of the season (second appearance), sophomore keeper
Kaley Kennedy (Enfield) made two saves over the first 45 minutes to post her first career win in her first decision. Her first save of the year came on Fitchburg's first shot of the night by sophomore forward Whitney Mansfield with 18 minutes left in the half and the Warriors leading, 1-0. Freshman
Kayla Labrecque (Westhampton, MA) was not called upon for a save in preserving the shutout in the second half.
Becher hit the left post twice in the second half in an effort to record her first career hat trick, with freshman midfielder Kaley Pratt (Milford, MA) denied her first career goal four minutes into the second half when her blast caromed off the left post, then off the right post before being cleared with the Warriors holding to their 1-0 lead. Becher, who has scored two goals in nine of her 35 career matches, moves into sixth place all-time with her 30th and 31st career goals. She moves one goal ahead of Meghann Booth and is one behind Julia Nielson and Sarah Swann, who share fourth place all-time. Becher has scored at least one goal in six of the team's last seven matches, totaling eight in that span.
Becher, Bodington and junior center back Jamie Belden (Middlebury) were all lifted midway through the second half as all 21 Eastern position players saw significant action.
Eastern held advantages of 31-2 in shots and 13-0 in corner kicks. Steele stopped 14 shots for Fitchburg.
Eastern remains perfect in seven matches in this series with Fitchburg, which was sent to its 13th straight loss after two opening wins.
Eastern returns to Little East Conference action Saturday at Rhode Island College at 1 p.m.
