Box Score FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Having returned most every key player from a team which defeated Framingham State University by more than a dozen goals last year, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team might have figured to have an easy go of it this year.
Wrong.
After scoring the first four goals of the match, Eastern (6-1) struggled, but rallied for three straight goals early in the second half to break a 6-6 tie on the way to a 10-8 non-conference victory Saturday morning at Maple Street Field.
With its fifth straight win, Eastern (6-1) extended the best start to its season in program history. With an infusion of four freshmen starters this year, Framingham (5-2) had won its first five this year but was coming off Wednesday's first loss prior to Saturday's home-opener.
Framingham quickly erased Eastern's four-goal cushion by responding with four straight goals from four different players in seven minutes to tie the match, 5-5, with seven minutes left in the first half. The decisive ten-minute stretch came early in the second half, when the Warriors broke from a 6-6 tie by getting goals from junior attack Jenna Glynn (West Granby) – her only one of the match – sophomore attack Michelina Pinto (Groton) and senior midfielder Paige Schneider (East Lyme) to build a 9-6 lead with just under 19 minutes left.
Framingham later cut the gap to one before freshman attack Alyssa Powers (Ellington) answered with her first goal since the midway point of the first half off an assist from senior attack Nicole Fretz (Newington) with 2:14 left to make it a two-goal game.
The Warriors did not attempt a shot the rest of the way, but Framingham failed to capitalize on two free position tries – one of which was saved by senior goalie Taylor Emmerson (Colchester) in the final minute.
Framingham was awarded nine free-position attempts in the match but managed to convert only one – that coming 11 minutes into the match that provided the Rams with their first goal.
Schneider led all players in the match with three goals, Burke, Pinto and Powers contributing two and Pinto two assists. Emmerson stopped ten shots. Senior defender Devyne Doran (South Kingstown, RI) caused four turnovers for Eastern and also topped the team with four ground balls, senior defender Katie Calnen (Granby) adding three ground. Pinto won half of the team's six draws and Doran two.
With her 56th start, Emmerson moved into a tie for second place among Eastern goalies all-time, 15 behind 2016 E-Club Hall of Fame Erika Bloze, Schneider, last year's LEC Midfielder-of-the-Year, reached 25 goals in a season for the third straight year with her third goal which came with 18:38 left in the match.
Eastern hosts Connecticut College Tuesday at 5 p.m. in a non-conference match.
