Box Score LEC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has dampened the Little East Conference season of the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team with 1-0 victories in the final week of the regular season.
Saturday was no different at Cressy Field in the final LEC regular-season match for both teams.
Playing the role of the spoiler after being eliminated from LEC playoff contention this year, UMass Dartmouth (9-7-1, 3-3-1 LEC) used an early goal to deny conference-leading Eastern (14-3-1, 5-1-1) of its second undefeated regular season in the last four years and fourth outright LEC regular-season title in the last five years under ninth-year head coach Greg DeVito.
Although Plymouth State University grabbed a share of the LEC regular-season title with a victory Saturday, the Panthers denied the University of Massachusetts Boston its second straight outright title by scoring the only goal of the match 3:25 into sudden-death overtime, saving Eastern from dropping to the No. 2 seed after it had taken over first place three weeks ago with a 2-1 win at UMass Boston.
Eastern and Plymouth State played to a 1-1 overtime tie Sept. 19, but Eastern earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of its regular-season 1-0 overtime win over visiting Rhode Island College last Saturday (Plymouth lost at home to RIC, 1-0, two weeks ago).
No. 4 seed Rhode Island earns a return engagement with Eastern in the LEC semifinals Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Thomas Nevers Field, while No. 3 UMass Boston visits no. 2 Plymouth State in the other Wednesday semifinal.
In 2001 and 2013, UMass Dartmouth had spoiled Eastern's bid for undefeated LEC seasons with late 1-0 wins at home over Eastern, each time the Warriors rebounding the followed week to eliminate UMass Dartmouth from the LEC playoffs.
Saturday, senior forward Corey Morris scored from close range just 11:15 into the match and junior keeper Luis Carranza made seven saves to record his first shutout in six starts, becoming only the second keeper this year to blank the Warriors, who had outscored their first 17 opponents, 36-10. Three of Carranza's saves came on shot by Eastern junior Tyler Jones (Vernon), Eastern's second-leading scorer.
Eastern freshman Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) made three saves, limiting the opponent to less than two goals for the 17th time in 18 matches.
Eastern held a slim 14-12 edge in shots and UMD managed one more corner kick (5-4) than Eastern. The Corsairs were whistled for 12 more penalties and collected three yellow cards to Eastern's one red card.
For Plymouth, the LEC regular-season (co-) title is its first since 2006.
