Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Junior midfielder Aly Clarke (Mystic) scored the first goal of her three-year collegiate career 10:21 into sudden-death overtime to lift the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Roger Williams University in the first match of the Springfield College Invitational Friday afternoon at Brock-Affleck Field. It was the season-opener for both schools.
The win over Roger Williams in the first round of the SC tournament is the second in as many years for Eastern, which shut out the Hawks, 2-0, a year ago before trimming host Springfield, 1-0, in its second game. The Warriors have outscored RWU 12-2 in winning all four matches in the series, the last three coming in this tournament and the first by a 5-0 margin in the Roger Williams Invitational in 2002.
The teams traded goals midway through the first half, three-time All-Little East Conference senior midfielder McKenzie Reimondo (Portland) giving Eastern the lead on a feed from junior midfielder Kaley Pratt (Milford, MA) before the Hawks replied 3:27 later on a goal from Arianna Delli Carpini. Clarke's first goal in 26 collegiate games (ten coming as a freshman at Southern Connecticut) came on a pass from All-New England Region forward Emily Becher (Brooklyn) 21 seconds into the second ten-minute OT frame. The point was the 99th in the four-year career of Becher.
Making her 16th consecutive career start in goal over two years, junior Kayla Labrecque (Westhampton, MA) stopped seven shots for her 12th win in 17 decisions, while Natalie O'Donovan made ten saves for Roger Williams.
Eastern faces Westfield State University Saturday at 4 p.m. The Owls (1-0-0) defeated Springfield College Friday, 1-0 in overtime.
