MANSFIELD, Conn. – With few exceptions, the defense and faceoff success of the Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team has kept the Warriors in games this season, but the offense, with few exceptions, has failed to capitalize.

For the seventh consecutive game – since an opening blowout win over outmatched Mitchell College – the offense failed to crack double-digit goals as the Warriors managed only four shots and a single goal over the final 19 minutes in an 11-9 non-conference loss Friday to New England College.

Since back-to-back, home-and-home victories over Little East Conference opponent Plymouth State University, Eastern has lost three games in seven days as it struggles to remain at .500 or above with three (LEC) matches remaining in the regular season. The loss is the first for Eastern against New England College (3-3) in this four-game series which began seven years ago.

After giving up the opening goal, Eastern led the entire match – but never by more than two goals – until the Pilgrims tied the contest with 1:28 left in the third quarter, and was never able to tie the match or go ahead the rest of the way after the Pilgrims scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter in a span of less than two minutes to maintain the advantage.

Trailing 10-8 with nine minutes left, Eastern desperately needed a goal to remain within striking distance. Instead, the Warriors were assessed a one-minute penalty, lost the faceoff, and Charles Hacking's second goal in 23 second with the man-advantage gave the visitors either team's first three-goal lead, 11-8, with 8:45 left.

Needing several quick goals in order to force overtime, Eastern managed only two shots the rest of the way – the first resulting in a goal by senior midfielder Tyler Stein (Milford) with 4:26 left – turning the ball over four times in the final eight minutes.

Stein continued to provide Eastern with a distinct advantage at the faceoff X, winning ten of 17 against New England, and now has a .656 success rate. Stein also led the way with four goals and an assist and picked up three ground balls, but junior midfielder Payten Nevins (Hamden) was the only other player with more than one, chipping in two.

Sophomore long-stick midfielder Domenic Scarano (Berlin) had ten ground balls for Eastern.

Eastern graduate goalie Jack Farrell (Stratford) stopped 13 of 24 shots on net to improve his season save percentage to .529, while freshman goalie Michael Catalano turned back 11 of 20 Eastern shots which reached net.

Senior attack Connor Smith  reached the 20-goal mark for NEC, scoring four straight Pilgrim goals beginning in the final seconds of the first quarter through the first five minutes of the third. Each of Smith's goals kept his team from falling more than two goals behind when the team's traded goals five consecutive times.

Eastern hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.