Box Score Tournament Central
MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team closed out its third straight unbeaten Little East Conference regular season Saturday in a 2-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine, and will enter the LEC playoff as the No. 1 seed for the third straight season.
Eastern (8-7-3, 6-0-1 LEC) shares this year's LEC regular-season title with Western Connecticut, which claimed a share of the title by routing Massachusetts Boston, 4-1, Saturday at Boston. The Warriors finish with at least a share of the LEC title for the eighth time in the last 15 years under 18th-year head coach Chris D'Ambrosio.
Eastern was awarded the No. 1 seed on the basis of least goals allowed in LEC regular-season play this year. The Warriors gave up three goals, Western five.
Eastern and Western draw first-round playoff byes and will each host semifinal-round matches Thursday, Eastern's kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex. Eastern will play the winner of Tuesday's first-round match between No. 4 Massachusetts Boston and No. 5 Rhode Island College. Eastern defeated Rhode Island College 3-0 on the road Sept. 16 and downed UMass Boston, 5-1, Oct. 20.
The Warriors are looking for their first tournament title since defeating No. 1 seed Keene State College on the Owls' home field on penalty kicks in 2011.
Eastern improved its record in LEC regular-season play to 23-0-2 since 2014 after defeating Southern Maine (5-12-0, 1-6-0 LEC by shutout for the fifth straight time and posting its 18th straight triumph over the Huskies.
On Seniors' Day, senior forward Maggie Bodington (Stratford) provided the Warriors with the only goal they would need when she settled the ball in the box on a feed from junior back Alissa Beedle (Bethany) and beat USM junior keeper Taylor Canastra (Fairhaven, MA) with a shot into the top right of the goal. That lead remained until junior midfielder Kaley Pratt (Milford, MA) connected for her first goal of the year on the 17th career assist from senior midfielder McKenzie Reimondo (Portland) 13 minutes into the second half Pratt planted her head on Reimondo's perfect corner kick to make it 2-0.
Eastern outshot USM 20-3 and did not allow a corner kick. Junior Kayla Labrecque (Westhampton, MA) made three saves for her third shutout of the year – all coming in conference play.
Canastra stopped eight shots.
In seven LEC contests this year, Eastern has outscored its opponent, 16-3, with Labrecque gaining all seven decisions. She had a 0.44 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. Bodington scored four of the team's goals and junior midfielder Aly Clarke (Mystic) three in those LEC contests, with Reimondo collecting three assists and Beedle recording six points on two goals and two assists.
