MANSFIELD, Conn. – Freshman Abbey Fitzsimmons' (West Hartford) first career goal off a free kick provided insurance in the final minutes as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team posted a 3-1 non-conference victory over the University of Saint Joseph Wednesday night at the Mansfield Athletic Complex.

Ranked No. 7 in New England, Eastern (5-2-0) built  a 2-0 lead by the half but couldn't convert numerous opportunities to put the game away. A minute after USJ freshman keeper Megan Ricci made a one-hand save at the left post to keep it a two-goal game, Saint Joseph's (3-4-0) Jessica Spezzano cut the lead in half with her second goal of the season with 28 minutes left in the game.

Eastern, which outshot the Blue Jays, 16-5, continued to threaten while protecting the one-goal lead before Fitzsimmons finally knocked in a free kick by junior McKenzie Reimondo (Portland) with just over three minutes left. Reimondo was awarded the free kick from outside the box after teammate Kaley Pratt (Milford, MA) was flattened while in possession of the the ball. Reimondo unloaded a line drive that sailed untouched through the box to the far post, where Fitzsimmons got a foot on it and beat Ricci in traffic from in close.

Until Fitzsimmons connected, the first three goals of the match came from long range. Weir collected a deflected ball from 25 yards with seven minutes gone and sent a left-footed drive well above the leap of Ricci for her first goal of the year on her first shot.  Junior back Michele D'Agata (West Suffield) made it 2-0 22 minutes later when she buried a 35-yarder from the left sideline on a pass from Pratt that carried just above the leap of Ricci.

After Eastern's second goal, junior back Krista Petersen (Wallingford) knocked a header off a corner kick from D'Agata over the crossbar and with ten minutes left in the half, junior Nikki Basilicato (Guilford) rifled a drive which skimmed off the crossbar.

Eastern senior Hailey Lehning (Woodbury) spent  the game possessing the ball and making long runs and setting up teammates' scoring chances. With Eastern leading 1-0, she took on two defenders, then made a crossover pass to sophomore Hannah Goodale (Coventry), whose drive carried over the net. With the Warriors looking for a third goal to ice the win, Lehning carried a good distance before laying the ball off to top scorer Emily Becher (Brooklyn), who was robbed by Ricci's one-handed stab at the post.

Ricci made seven saves while Eastern sophomore Kayla Labrecque (Westhampton, MA) stopped two shots for her third win in four decisions. Eastern held a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Eastern visits Plymouth State University in a Little East Conference match Saturday at 1 p.m.