WORCESTER, Mass. – Coming into Saturday, Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey had three Little East Conference matches remaining on their schedule leading up to the conference tournament. The team traveled to Massachusetts to face off against Worcester State University with a top four spot in the conference standings on the line. Despite a gritty effort against the preseason favorites to win the conference, the Warriors (9-5, 7-3 LEC) fell to the Lancers (12-5, 7-3 LEC) by a final score of 2-1.
 
Worcester State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as junior forward Karalyn Jones streaked down the right side of the field before finding senior forward Hope Makey on the left side all alone. Makey would tap the ball into the goal past junior goalkeeper Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) to give the Lancers the lead in the opening minute of the match.
 
However, Eastern would come roaring back with an offensive charge to end the first quarter. Graduate student Brianna Nolan (Watertown) started the shooting frenzy against first-year goalie Madison Ferrara before senior midfielder Bryce Makula (Guilford), sophomore forward Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford), and first-year midfielder Liz LaMarco (West Hartford) peppered Ferrara and the Lancers' defense with a combined five shots directed at the goal. But the Warriors would be unable to breakthrough and knock in the equalizer.
 
For much of the second quarter, Eastern would continue to apply the pressure on the offensive end with Nolan rattling off three shots on goal within a minute of each other to try and pull the Warriors even. Worcester State would respond with a run of their own on the offensive end with four shots directed towards Gallagher, two of which were saved, one blocked, and one going wide of the goal mouth. Although they trailed 1-0 heading into the half, Eastern had a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal, forcing Ferrara to make 8 saves along with the defense making two of their own.
 
The equalizer would finally come for the Warriors in the closing minutes of the third quarter when a Nolan penalty corner resulted in a shot attempt by senior forward Corey Callahan (South Windsor) was turned away by Ferrara and eventually in a scrum sophomore forward Isabel Sanchez (Weston) tied the game up at one with her seventh goal of the season.
 
 Both teams would battle back and forth with neither giving up the go-ahead goal as the third and fourth quarter wore on. The big call of the game would come in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter when Nolan and junior defender Emily Saucier got their sticks tangled up. Both players were given green cards which resulted in their respective teams playing a man down. Shortly after both players served the penalty, Saucier would assist on the game-winning goal after junior midfielder Carly Duff took a penalty corner that Saucier fired towards the top of the circle, tipped off Karalyn Jones stick, and past Gallagher in goal to give the Lancers the lead and eventually the win.
 
Gallagher finished the game with six saves on eight shot attempts by Worcester State, going toe to toe with Madison Ferrara who recorded a total of 10 saves on the afternoon.
 
 The loss dropped the Warriors into a fourth-place tie with the Lancers and they now trail Southern Maine by a half a game along with Keene State and Westfield State University by a game. With head-to-head tiebreakers over University of Southern Maine and Keene State, Eastern has a chance to still secure a top three spot in the Little East Conference Tournament. However, they will also need some help from other opponents as Worcester State University and Westfield State University own the head-to head tiebreaker against them.
 
 The Warriors close out their regular season schedule with two Little East Conference games, one on the road and one at home over the next week. Their next game will be Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. against Framingham State University at Maple Street Field. Eastern came away with a 2-1 victory the last time the teams met in 2019 and have won the last eight matchups against the Rams, outscoring them 22-1 during that stretch.