WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior midfielder Xavier Doran (Hebron) and freshman forward Griffin Luczek (Lee, NH) scored second-period goals and sophomore keeper Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) shut out Muhlenberg College for the second time in as many career starts as the Warriors won their first match of the season, 2-0, Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

Eastern's (1-2-1) Doran scored his first goal of the year on a bullet under the crossbar taken well above the top of the box on an endline pass from sophomore forward Justin Jensen (Wethersfield), and Doran was also credited with an assist when Luczek scored his second goal of the year on a ball which eluded Muhlenberg (1-3-0) freshman keeper Alex Tomko, who couldn't clear the ball off the line after it rolled past his dive. The start was the first in the career of Tomko, who matched Murphy with two saves.

Sophomore forward Kevin Zeppieri (Waterford) set up Luczek's insurance goal when he won the ball in the Eastern end and found Doran near midfield. Doran sent a pass ahead up the middle, where Luczek managed to get a foot on it inside the six yard line. It appeared that it would dribble wide, but it got past Tomko and just got over the goal line before the keeper pounced on it.

Tomko made several strong plays in the opening 17 minutes of the second half to keep the game scoreless. He covered up at the near post on a bid by Jensen six minutes into the second half, then made his best play on sophomore forward Justin Grant (Cromwell) three minutes later.

Grant found room on the left side and flicked a low shot from in close that Tomko got a hand on and deflected it away.

Twelve minutes after Doran's go-ahead goal, Jensen had a bid sail wide left from 30 yards, and senior midfielder Danny Manfredi's (Unionville) dangerous left-footer six minutes travelled just over the crossbar.

Down 1-0, Muhleberg nearly tied the match with ten minutes left. Sophomore midfielder Kevin Irving dropped a perfect corner kick onto the head of a leaping junior back Jan Chmura, whose re-direct at the 18-yard mark hit Murphy at the letters.

As a freshman last year, Murphy stopped six shots when the Warriors scored with one second left in overtime in a 1-0 victory at Allentown, PA.

Eastern visits Williams College Sunday at 3 p.m.