MANSFIELD, Conn. -- It was eerily similar, yet fitting, during this storybook season for the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team in the Little East Conference semifinals against Fitchburg State University Thursday night at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

Same script, with the same characters taking center stage.

For the second time in as many 2-1 wins this year over Fitchburg at the Mansfield Complex, Fitchburg drew first blood on a goal by freshman Molly Richard, and in identical fashion to the regular-season win, Eastern countered with goals from senior Brianna Passero (Trumbull) and sophomore Alex Kallgren (Dudley, MA) roughly four minutes apart to win it.

A month ago, that sequence of events gave Eastern four wins in six LEC contests and dropped Fitchburg to 0-6. Thursday night, that scenario lifted  No. 4 seeded Eastern (13-6)  to a 2-1 semifinal victory over No. 8 Fitchburg State University (11-9), this time vaulting the Warriors into the LEC playoff championship match for the first time in program history.

The Warriors will visit No. 3 seed and defending champion Keene State College (15-7) Saturday at the Owl Athletic Complex for a chance at the title. Keene eliminated No. 7 Worcester State University, 4-1,  Thursday night in the other semifinal. Keene defeated Eastern, 2-1, Oct. 16 at Keene, NH.

Richard's 12th goal of the year on a penalty stroke nine minutes into the match gave the Falcons the early lead, but Eastern's defense shut down Fitchburg the rest of the way. Passero tied the match with 20 minutes left when she scored her ninth goal of the year off a rebound of a shot by Kallgren following a penalty corner, and Kallgren's 12th goal of the season on an assist from senior Hannah Keiser (Danbury) with 16:34 left put the Warriors in front for good.

Fitchburg had an opportunity to go two goals up with 21:30 left in the match when Richard carried a long way on the right flank, putting the ball through a defender's legs, then maneuvering past a second opponent, but Eastern junior goalie Samantha Scavo (Redding) stopped the shot at the right post.

Richard roofed her penalty stroke to put Fitchburg ahead early after Scavo was called for a violation in the crease, and Fitchburg senior goalie Judith Valentin made one of her three first-half saves two minutes later on a shot by Keiser to keep the lead intact. Keiser and senior Laura Chicorka (Enfield) threatened throughout for Eastern, combining to take ten of Eastern's 18 shots, forcing Valentin to kick out five of them. 

Scavo, the program's all-time winningest goalie, made two saves for her 11th win of the year.

Four short years ago, Eastern was the worst team in the conference, losing all 11 of its regular-season matches and winning only one of 33 in a three-year period.  The team won only one LEC playoff match in its first 17 years of competition and went nine straight years without qualifying for the tournament.

The Warriors concluded their home season with a record nine victories (against two losses) and extended their program-record winning streak to six with Thursday's win. Fitchburg, which had stunned No. 1 seed Plymouth State University, 1-0, in Tuesday's semifinals, had a five-game winning streak stopped with the season-ending loss. After losing to Eastern, 2-1, Oct. 7, the Falcons won seven of their next eight prior to Thursday.