MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore Emily Becher (Brooklyn) scored her 12th game-winning goal -- fifth this year -- in 29 career matches with 50.1 seconds left in the first half to power the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team to a 1-0 non-conference victory over Connecticut College Tuesday night at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

Becher scored her team-leading sixth goal of the year -- connecting on a head for a goal for the first time in her college career -- on a pass from freshman Kaley Pratt (Milford, MA), who recorded her first career point. Junior Hailey Lehning (Woodbury) set up the play when she sent the ball ahead near midfield to Pratt, who lofted the ball into the 18-yard box. The 5-foot-2 inch Becher got a head on the ball and it bounced past Conn keeper Bryanna Montalvo inside the left post.

It marked the 11th time in the last 12 years that the match between the Connecticut rivals has been decided by one goal. The Warriors are 5-1 against Conn (1-3-3) the last six times the teams have squared off at Eastern. All three of Conn's losses this year have come by 1-0.

Eastern (6-2-1) keeper Rachel Skelton (East Lyme) made six saves to record her fifth shutout in nine starts this year. Skelton, who stopped nine shots in last year's 2-1 loss at Conn College (1-3-1), was not required to make any difficult saves, even though the Camels  held a 12-8 advantage in shots.

Montalvo robbed Becher 11 minutes into the match when she made a diving stop on Becher's drive from 12 yards on the right wing, and Eastern back Maggie Bodington (Stratford) nearly gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead with 15 minutes left, but her blast from the right side sailed over the cross bar.

Livi Block of Conn made several dangerous runs on the wing for Conn, but the Warriors' defense -- led by starters Bodington, junior Jamie Belden (Middlebury), and sophomores Krista Peterson (Wallingford) and Michele D'Agata (West Suffield) -- continually stepped up to intercept passes before the Camels could threaten.

For Conn, which won 16 matches last year and its first NESCAC tournament title, its best chance came in the final seconds when Cathy Higgins  unloaded a drive down the middle of the field from beyond midfield which carried inside six yards without a teammate able to get a head on it.

Eastern visits Keene State College Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.