BRISTOL, R.I. – The Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team closed out the abbreviated 2020-21 season with its best winning percentage in program history, losing by a score of 2-1 for the second time in a week in a non-conference setback to Roger Williams University at Bayside Field.
 
Coming off last Sunday's overtime setback at Western New England University which ended a four-game season-opening winning streak, Eastern (4-2) avoided its first shutout of the season Saturday with ten minutes remaining when junior Corey Callahan (South Windsor) scored in her third consecutive match.
 
Albeit in a much smaller sample, Eastern's final winning percentage of .667 tops the final .650 winning percentage  of the 2013 team which reached the Little East Conference finals for the only time in program history and posted a final record of 13-7.
 
Although the Warriors were outshot 14-10 and out-cornered 10-5 Saturday, the outcome was a distinct improvement from 2019, when the Warriors were outshot 33-8 and needed goalie Keira Integlia's (Branford) brilliant 19-save performance to minimize the damage in a 6-1 home loss.
 
Saturday,  Hannahs Gaffney and Palmer scored for Roger Williams (2-1), Gaffney giving the Hawks an early lead eight minutes into play and Palmer making it a two-goal game two minutes into the fourth quarter. Callahan answered with her season's third goal – second via the penalty stroke -- three minutes later.
 
In the final ten minutes, Integlia  made her seventh and final save to keep the margin at one. In the final three minutes, Eastern was awarded its second of two penalty corners in the fourth quarter, but juniors Bryce Makula (Guilford) and Sydney Collentine (New Fairfield) had shots blocked following a penalty corner by junior Brianna Nolan (Watertown) before they reached junior goalie Callie Flanagan, who needed only one save to improve her record to 2-1.
 
In 2020-21, Eastern won both of its Little East Conference matches -- opening the season with home wins over Keene State College (3-2 in overtime), and Plymouth State University (4-1) -- defeating them in the same season for the first time. Overall, the Warriors out-scored their opponent, 15-9 and Integlia and sophomore Erin Fainer (Thomaston) combined on a 1.48 goals-against average and .786 save percentage. Nolan led Eastern with a career-high six goals and 13 points, with Callahan and freshman forward Isabel Sanchez (Weston) each scoring three goals, senior tri-captain Julia Koonjy (Jefferson, NJ) two and freshman midfielder Leah Kowalasky (Middlebury) one. Makula had three assists, Collentine two and Nolan and Kowalasky one each.
 
 The match was the final one for three of Eastern's Saturday starters: four-year player Koonjy and three-year players Mary Greenwell (Warwick, RI) and Integlia. Integlia will complete her final season of eligibility as a graduate student at Division II University of New Haven while Greenwell will graduate a year early. Koonjy appeared in 53 matches in her career with three goals and two assists, and Greenwell saw action in 30 matches. Despite playing only three seasons, Integlia leaves the program ranked third in wins (14), and fourth in starts (38) and saves (292).