MANSFIELD, Conn. – After capturing the Little East Conference Regular Season title six days ago, Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer squared off against Rhode Island College on Thursday in the Little East Conference Tournament Semifinals at Nevers Field. The top-seeded Warriors (12-6-0) looked to make it two straight wins against the four-seeded Anchormen (11-7-1) this season after winning on the road back in October. Behind a pair of goals from senior defender Jackson Trierweiler (Framingham, MA) and the return of first-year forward Logan Brennan (Farmington), Eastern came away with the 3-1 victory to earn a spot in the Little East Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday for the seventh time under head coach Greg DeVito. The last time the Warriors made the championship in 2019, they fell 1-0 against Keene State at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
    For the first time, Eastern will host Western Connecticut State University in the championship match Saturday at 1 p.m. at Thomas Nevers Field. Third-seeded WestConn (17-5-0) defeated visiting No. 6 Massachusetts Dartmouth, 2-0, in Tuesday's first round and followed that up Thursday night by trimming second-seeded host Massachusetts Boston, 1-0 to advance to the title match for the third time in four years.
 
    As the top seed in 2017, WestConn defeated No. 2 Rhode Island College, 1-0, and repeated its title the following year as the No. 4 seed with a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 2 Keene State College at Rick McCarthy Field. Eastern eliminated WestConn, 5-0, in the 2019 semifinals at Rick McCarthy Field, one year after a 2-1 loss to WestConn in the semifinals at McCarthy Field.
 
    Since losing, 2-1 at WestConn Sept. 29, Eastern is 7-2-0, with both losses coming to regionally-ranked teams. Since its victory over Eastern in late September, WestConn is 8-2-0, with one of its losses coming by a score of 4-2 at UMass Boston.

 A match that started off fast-paced for both teams would not yield many scoring opportunities in either direction Thursday. The first real chance from either team came from Rhode Island College in the 19^th minute off a Warrior turnover in the defensive zone. Junior forward Luis Blanco would find a hole in the Eastern defense, streak down the left side of the field, and fire his shot wide of the goal mouth harmlessly out of play.
 
Moments later in the 19^th minute, junior forward Ryan Sirois (Tolland) would manufacture a chance of his own off a misplayed ball in the Anchormen's zone. Sirois would be unable to get any air underneath his shot and it would be easily gathered by senior goalkeeper Charlie Tashjian on the right side of the net.
 
    The first half would continue to wear on with physical play from both sides, but neither defense breaking under the pressure from their opposition's offensive attack. But in the waning moments of the first 45, the Warriors would finally get on the scoreboard started by a free kick by junior defender Larson Richards (Mansfield). Richards would fire the ball towards the center of the box where Sirois would get a piece of it and find Trierweiler to the right of him with an open net. Trierweiler would finish the scoring opportunity and put Eastern ahead in the 44^th minute as well as into the half, 1-0.
 
    The Warriors would threaten immediately once the second half got underway when first-year forward Sean Cafferty (Clinton) found first-year defender Walter Scudder (Unionville) in the offensive zone. Scudder would look ahead to Sirois who sprinted by the Rhode Island College defense with only Tashjian to beat on the left side but fired the ball wide left of the goal to keep the Eastern lead at one.
 
    Still ahead by only one, the Anchormen looked to knot up the match in the 64^th minute with their first shot on goal of the afternoon. Following a throw-in from senior Roman Davis, a touch pass made its way to the dangerous senior midfielder Sa-Leem Kamarah who immediately rifled the ball which was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Dylan Pallanck (Willington).
 
    Eventually, Eastern would extend their lead with Trierweiler earning his second goal of the afternoon in the 71^st minute. It would be another Richards free kick in the offensive zone which came off of a Rhode Island College defender's head before caroming off Trierweiler's head into the left side of the net. The defender now has three career goals, all of which have come during his senior season in which he has seen 388 minutes of playing time, the most since his first year with the team in 2018.
 
    With all the momentum on their side, the Warriors continued to attack the Anchormen on offense and it would bring about another goal just two minutes later. This time it would come from Logan Brennan off a pass from junior forward Ryan Jamieson (Ellington) as the first-year forward maneuvered through the defense and beat Tashjian on the left side of the goal to put Eastern ahead 3-0. The goal was Brennan's third of the season as he made his return to the Warrior lineup after missing the last month due to injury and last appeared on October 3^rd against Pratt Institute.
 
    Rhode Island College would get one back in the 82^nd minute when graduate defender James Petrella hit junior forward Brandon Ramos with a pass in the Warrior defensive zone before locating Kamarah trying to split the defense. Kamarah would work around a pair of Eastern defenders and beat Pallanck on the inside left post to cut the Eastern lead down to two. Although the Anchormen continued to apply pressure on offense for the final eight minutes, they would be unable to produce any quality chances to minimize their deficit any further as the Warriors came away with the 3-1 win.
 
    Dylan Pallanck finished the game with three saves on four shot attempts while Charlie Tashjian made five saves against the Eastern offense on eight shot attempts.
 
    The Warriors will now take on three-seeded Western Connecticut State University on Saturday at 1:00 PM in the Little East Conference Tournament Championship at Nevers Field. Earlier this season, Eastern fell to WestConn in a heartbreaking double overtime loss on the road after their Little East Conference rival scored two unanswered goals in the second half and overtime. The Warriors are 5-1 all-time in their previous six championship match appearances but have never played WestConn with the title on the line. This season, the Warriors are 9-1 at home and have outscored their opponents 40-5. Their last home matchup with WestConn came on a chilly night in October in the 2019 Little East Conference Semifinals in which Eastern shutout WestConn, 5-0 at Rick McCarthy Field before falling to Keene State in the championship.