WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Sophomore Max Parent (Yarmouth, MA) and senior Adam Traxler (Newburyport, MA) scored goals five minutes apart in the first half and junior Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) made six saves for his tenth career shutout as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team blanked Framingham State University, 2-0, in its home-opener Thursday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

In the first of four straight home matches in a ten-day span, Eastern (2-1-0) did not allow a serious Framingham (2-1-0) scoring chance after the first 25 minutes in shutting out the Rams for the third time in this three-game series dating back to 1985.

Framingham failed on a pair of prime opportunities early in the game, All-MASCAC junior Ken Stahovish (Springfield, MA) hitting the cross bar from distance nine minutes into play, and still in a scoreless game, junior Isaac  DeSouza (Sao Paulo, Brazil) curved a left-footed drive from in the box toward the right post, where Murphy knocked it down, then covered up.

Less than three minutes after Murphy's save kept the game scoreless, Parent capitalized on a mistake by Framingham senior keeper Josh Arno (Natick, MA), controlling a loose ball in the box with Arno off his line, and steering it into an open net.

Five minutes later, Traxler made it 2-0 when he buried freshman Danny Shayler's (Avon) cross from the left while stationed at the right post, sending a ground ball past Arno with 13 minutes left in the first half. It was Shayler's first career point.

With five minutes left in the first half, Arno made a strong save on Shayler's one-time drive from 18 yards off passes from freshmen Jake Pendl (Cromwell) and David Noel (Armonk, NY) to keep the Warriors' advantage at two goals.

With Eastern looking to pad its lead in the opening minutes of the second half, two-time, first-team All-Little East Conference senior performer Xavier Doran (Hebron) crashed the box twice four minutes apart but his headers off crosses from senior Justin Grant (Cromwell) and sophomore Nick Starkowski (Marlborough), respectively, sailed just high of the crossbar.

Eastern outshot Framingham, 19-9, and recorded a 9-3 advantage (7-1 in the first half) in corner kicks. Murphy, a first-team All-Little East Conference keeper, recorded his tenth full shutout (second this year) in 39 career starts. Arno was credited with two saves.

Eastern hosts Ramapo College Saturday at noon at Nevers Field. The Warriors bring a four-game unbeaten (3-0-1) streak at home against Ramapo into the match, but had an overall eight-game unbeaten (6-0-2) streak against the Road Runners snapped last year at Mahwah, NJ in a 2-1 loss. The Warriors led at halftime on a goal by Grant in that match before Ramapo scored twice in the second half, recording the game-winner with six minutes left.