MANSFIELD, Conn. --  Castleton University senior midfielder Julia Carone set up freshman forward Brytney Moore  with a perfect thru-ball in the ninth minute that resulted in the only goal of the match as the Spartans and Eastern Connecticut State University closed out their seasons with a Little East Conference match at Rick McCarthy Field.

The scoring play began in Castleton's (4-1-0, 4-1-0 LEC) defensive third. Carone won the ball at midfield and carried toward the middle of the field before sending a perfect left-footed thru-ball through three Eastern defenders to Moore, who caught up to the pass and sent a left-footed one-timer from 20 yards out on the left side over the head of Eastern (2-3, 2-2 LEC) freshman keeper Rachel Hughes (Columbia) that settled into the upper netting on the near side.

Castleton junior keeper Alex Benfatti  got some defensive help but came up with a game-saving save as time expired in recording her third shutout and fourth win in as many decisions. Junior defender Stephanie Burkhammer dropped back on the line to clear a shot with 19 minutes left in the first half, and sophomore defender Ashlee Meczywor  cleared freshman midfielder Lindsay Fishman's (South Windsor) shot away from the goal while Benfatti was off her line.

Eastern's best opportunity came in the face of a stiff wind as the time was running out. It began with a short goal kick from Hughes after a Castleton shot went wide with less than 20 seconds left. Three passes down the left side line got the ball to midfield, where sophomore midfielder Juliette Hogan (Preston) sent the ball ahead of the field toward the Castleton box. Having entered the game four minutes earlier, junior midfielder Carlie Dreyfus (Stafford Springs) outraced a Spartan defender for the ball. Dreyfus and Benfatti – who came charging off her line to meet the ball-carrier -- reached the ball simultaneously, with the keeper smothering Dreyfus' hard shot as time expired.

Each team had several opportunities to score. Minutes after Burkhammer's defensive play, Eastern sophomore defender Grace Muller (Johnston, RI) one-timed a volley that sailed just wide of the post. For Castleton, junior midfielder Liz Bell headed sophomore defender Ashlee Meczywor's corner kick over the cross bar midway through the second half that would have given the visitors a two-goal advantage.

Benfatti made five saves. Hughes made one save in the first half and freshman Emily Wallace (Smithtown, NY) two in the second.