FITCHBURG, Mass. – Junior Erin Fainer (Thomaston) made three saves for her first career shutout in her first appearance of the season as the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team moved to within a half-game of first place in the Little East Conference with a 2-0 victory over Fitchburg State University Saturday morning at Elliot Field.
 
By snapping a two-game losing streak with their second 2-0 victory over Fitchburg (1-11, 0-6 LEC) in the last two tries, Eastern (6-3, 4-1 LEC) moved to within a half-game of LEC leader Keene State College (5-1 LEC), which was idle, and remained a half-game ahead of three teams locked in a tie for third place.
 
Eastern, the No. 8 pick in the LEC pre-season coaches' poll, unloaded a season-high 23 shots on Fitchburg goalie Jenna Morse, but the sophomore kept her team close by making a career-high 19 saves.
 
First-year forward Liz LaMarco (West Hartford) provided the Warriors with the only goal that they needed in the ninth minute, and Morse's acrobatics kept the Falcons within striking distance until sophomore forward Isabel Sanchez (Weston) added an insurance goal with nine minutes left. It was the third goal of the season for both LaMarco and Sanchez, with senior midfielder Bryce Makula (Guilford) being credited with her team-leading third assist of the year – ninth of her career  -- on the second goal.
 
The goal was the first for LaMarco since she scored the only goal of the match Sept. 22 against Roger Williams, and the first of her career in conference matches. All three of Sanchez' goals have come in conference play, her most recent one proving to be a Golden Goal in a 3-2 overtime LEC win over visiting Keene State College Sept. 18.
 
Since dropping five straight in the series, Eastern has now defeated Fitchburg seven times in the last nine meetings. The Falcons, who have lost ten straight, were ranked 13^th (last) in the LEC pre-season poll. It was their fifth shutout loss of the year.
 
Eastern hosts Bridgewater State University Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Rick McCarthy Field. The Bears (4-6, 2-3 LEC) were schedule to host Salem State University in an LEC match later Saturday. The Warriors have posted shutouts over the Bears the last two times the clubs have met.