MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team scored twice in a span of 87 seconds early in the match but needed sophomore Ashlyn Rogers' (Portsmouth, RI) goal with 14 minutes remaining to secure a 3-1 Little East Conference victory over Rhode Island College Wednesday night at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Eastern (5-5-2, 2-2-2 LEC) was held scoreless for 57 minutes after seniors Sierra DeCarli (Tolland) and Carlie Dreyfus (Stafford Springs) connected less than two minutes apart before the match was 20 minutes old, but Rogers provided the dagger in the 76^th minute  with her second goal of the year – first in three weeks.
 
On Rogers' insurance goal, Eastern won the ball near midfield and sophomore Victoria Roman (Mexico City, MX) carried before chipping it into the Rhode Island (2-11-0, 1-5-0 LEC) end. The ball deflected off a RIC player and controlled by senior forward Haley Montesanto (East Haven). Montesanto sent the ball into the box, where RIC could not gain possession, with the ball bouncing out toward the top of the box to Rogers, who knocked in down with her left foot, split two defenders and sent an off-balance shot from 15 yards into the upper left area of the goal.
 
A midfielder who started up front in the game, DeCarli's second goal of the year gave the Warriors the lead in the 18^th minute. Sophomore Alexie Root (Old Saybrook) initiated the scoring play with a throw-in to first-year player Dani Rovalino (Simsbury). Rovalino split two defenders on the left wing and slid a left-footed pass into the box, where DeCarli found space and one-timed it past RIC freshman keeper Reagan Kerecz.

Moments later, Roman won the ball and played give-and-go with DeCarli. Roman got the ball back and passed it ahead in the middle of the field to Dreyfus, who controlled it and looped a shot from inside the box over the head of Kerecz to give Eastern a 2-0 lead.
 
Eastern senior keeper Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) made all five of her saves in the second half, when Rhode Island outshot the Warriors, 6-5, but could not get closer after freshman Serena Forte's  team-leading fifth goal of the year cut the margin to one goal with six minutes left in the first half. Forte took a long serve from freshman Delaney LaRose and found herself 1v1 with Tyrrell and fired a shot from close range into the right side of the net.
 
Rhode Island's second corner kick of the night – taken by junior Alexandra Amore  -- helped set up Forte's goal. The corner kick was driven into the box but was sent out by RIC freshman Jayde Fernandes to the foot of LaRose well outside the box. LaRose served it over the Eastern defense to Forte, who chested it down, and while Eastern was demanding an offside call, right-footed it with a perfect touch past an unprotected Tyrrell from six yards.
 
The win was Eastern's seventh straight against RIC and 12^th in the last 13 meetings and gives the Warriors their first home win after three straight losses – their first since Sept. 7.
 
Eastern hosts Williams College Saturday at noon in a non-conference match.