Box Score WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University freshman forward Allie Giguere scored the game winner in the 56th minute to lift her team to a 2-1 Little East Conference win over Eastern Connecticut State University Tuesday evening at Alumni Field.
Giguere tallied the game winner as she took the ball at the top of the circle and beat a defender before lifting a shot into the back of the net to seal the win for the Owls.
Westfield (4-6, 3-2 LEC) had routed Eastern (2-5, 2-3 LEC) in the opening round of last year's Little East playoffs, 5-0, last year after the Warriors had lost starting goalie Maddie LaRusso to a career-ending injury in the final week of the regular season.
This time, the Owls had their hands full with the Warriors before defeating Eastern for the fourth straight time and for the tenth time in 13 tries in the series on their home turf. The match was only the second on the road this year for Eastern, which also dropped a 3-1 LEC decision at Southern Maine ten days ago.
Trailing 1-0 after Westfield scored directly off a corner in the 11th minute, the Warriors pulled even seven minutes before halftime when senior defender Stephanie Hogan (Northford) converted her third penalty stroke in as many attempts this season, giving her a team-leading four goals.
Westfield limited the Warriors to just eight total shots, with sophomore goalie Katie Vamosi making three saves for her second win in seven decisions.
First-year sophomore Keira Integlia (Branford) made six saves in goal for Eastern, including a spectacular sliding save on the wet turf late in regulation to keep her team within striking distance.
On the strength of Integlia's save, the Warriors nearlyh forced overtime in the final seconds. After Eastern moved the ball deep into Owl territory as regulation time was expiring, junior Khiara Valentine (Morristown, NJ) – last year's leader with 11 goals and 24 points -- had a chance at the left post as time was expiring but couldn't corral the loose ball as it slid wide over the end line at the final horn.
Eastern hosts Plymouth State at noon Saturday in an LEC contest, looking for its second victory over the Panthers in the last four meetings after losing the first 19 in the series dating back to 1998.
