MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore Sage Drinkwater, last year's Little East Conference Rookie-of-the-Year, scored the go-ahead goal five minutes into the second half to help lift the University of Southern Maine to a 3-1 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference field hockey opener for both teams Saturday at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
Having broken a four-game losing streak against Southern Maine (2-2) with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Huskies last year in Gorham, ME en route to its first LEC playoff championship, Eastern (1-2) could not solve the USM defense or its second-team all-conference senior goalie, Julianna Kiklis. The Warriors did not have a shot or penalty corner in the second half.
 
Down early when USM sophomore Ginny Twitchell netted her second goal of the year, Eastern bounced back with seven minutes left in the first half when first-year player Emma Sanson (Thomaston) scored her second goal of the year with help from junior Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford). Drinkwater responded for the Huskies, however in the second half and junior Chloe Arsenault put the game out of reach with her first goal of the season with three minutes left.
 
Junior Hannah Banks set up Drinkwater's game-winning goal when she broke free at midfield and located Drinkwater in the box and sophomore Izzy Hurlburt set the stage for Arsenault's blast from the left middle of the box.
 
With the Huskies holding a comfortable two-goal lead, freshman Kily Koslosky nearly made it a three-goal cushion, but her shot off a breakaway went wide.
 
Senior Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) was credited with four saves for Eastern.
 
Eastern visits Springfield College in a non-conference match Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Last year, Eastern defeated the Pride for the first time in seven series contests, 2-1 at Rick McCarthy Field, with Springfield going on to a 5-12 finish.
Springfield (2-1) opened its 2022 season Sept. 3 with a 2-1 win at Keene State College, which was beaten by Eastern in the 2021 LEC championship match.