Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team clinched its sixth Little East Conference regular-season title in 16 years under head coach Chris D'Ambrosio and moved within a victory of its first perfect LEC regular season with a 7-1 victory over Rhode Island College at the RIC Soccer Field Saturday afternoon.
The regular-season title is the third outright one among the six for Eastern (12-3-1, 6-0-0 LEC) and gives it the No. 1 playoff seed and a first-round bye into a Nov. 5 semifinal home game. The Warriors have gone unbeaten in the conference with 6-0-1 records three times, most recently in 2010.
In 18 seasons since the advent of the seven-game regular-season schedule in 1997, teams have recorded perfect (7-0-0) LEC regular-season records five times: Western Connecticut in 1997, 2001 and 2006 and Keene State College in 2002 and 2011.
Saturday, sophomore midfielder McKenzie Reimondo (Portland) and freshman midfielder Tara Shayler (Avon) scored their first career goals, All-New England Region sophomore forward Emily Becher (Brooklyn) scored two goals for the tenth time in 36 matches (second straight) and sophomore midfielder Nikki Basilicato (Guilford) recorded the first two-goal match of her career. Sophomore back Maggie Bodington (Stratford) added a point for the fourth straight match, chipping in two assists for the second straight match which gives her ten points in the last four matches and a team-leading eight assists. Becher and Basilicato also added an assist, with sophomore back Michele D'Agata (West Suffield) and sophomore midfielder Taylor Ross (Ansonia) being credited with their first assists of the season.
Senior Rachel Skelton (East Lyme) made a save over the first 45 minutes for her 11th win of the season and sophomore Kaley Kennedy (Enfield) stopped one shot in the second half.
Becher now has 33 goals in 36 career matches. Her two on Saturday move her ahead of Julia Neilson and Sarah Swann into fourth place all-time, 39 goals behind E-Club Hall of Famer and all-time scoring leader Lisa Matukaitis.
Eastern visits Manhattanville College Wednesday at 6 p.m. before hosting LEC foe University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Saturday at 1 p.m. in its regular-season windup.
