MANSFIELD, Conn. -- After torrential rain prevented the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team from kicking off its 2021 season Wednesday, the Warriors (1-0-0) faced off against Wentworth Institute of Technology (0-2-0) at Rick McCarthy Field Saturday at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex. This was the first matchup between the two programs, with Eastern emerging victorious by a final score of 2-0.
Scoring her second career goal in the
third minute of the game, senior midfielder
Sierra DeCarli (Tolland) helped set the tone for the Warriors early on after WIT sophomore goalkeeper Adrianna Arona lost control of the ball which found DeCarli's foot and then the back of the net. The two teams would proceed to battle back and forth in the neutral zone before the senior had another scoring chance on a pass to the middle from senior midfielder
Haley Montesanto (East Haven) that was swallowed by Arona.
Senior forward
Carlie Dreyfus (Stafford Springs) added a scoring opportunity of her own nearly halfway through the first half when her shot from the left side deflected off the post. Dreyfus had a second opportunity to score on the rebound, which sailed just wide of the net. The Warriors headed into halftime with the 1-0 advantage having three shots on goal (9 total shots) along with three corner kicks while their defense did not allow the Leopards to attempt a single shot or corner kick.
After missing out on a goal in the first half, Dreyfus capitalized on her next opportunity to score, burying a penalty kick into the right side of the net in the 78
th minute to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead en route to their first victory of the 2021 season.
Senior goalkeeper
Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) had a strong showing in net, facing five shots, all in the second half, and making five saves to earn her second career shutout in 10 starts.
Six Warriors players saw their first women's collegiate soccer action: first-year sophomore
Addison Belcamino (Colchester) along with freshman
Daria DiBiasio (Richmond, RI),
Paula Caro (Carolina, P.R.),
Hailey Cocca (Stratford),
Briley Harnois (Attleboro, MA), and
Dani Rovalino (Simsbury). Both DiBiasio and Rovalino also made their first career starts with Eastern.
With
Dani Rovalino and senior defender
Olivia Rovalino (Simsbury) taking the field as starters against WIT, they became the third sister duo in the program's 36-year history to start in the same match since the 2010-2011 season when Jo-Ann and Tamar Merhab started for the Warriors. The first duo to start for women's soccer was during the 1991-1992 season when sisters Candace and Christa Grzywinski took the field for Eastern.
The Warriors host Fitchburg State University Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a non-conference match.
