NEW LONDON, Conn. --  Senior Larson Richards (Mansfield) scored his first goal of the season in the 66^th minute and sophomore Nathan Yeich (Willington) didn't need to make a save for his second win of the year as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team blanked Mitchell College, 1-0, Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field.
 
Now unbeaten (2-0-2) in four road matches this year, Eastern (2-1-2) outshot Mitchell (1-4-0), 18-2 but managed only Richards's sixth career goal against Mitchell junior goalkeeper Dylan Kinsella, who made ten saves this year after allowing three Eastern goals in the Warriors' 3-0 win a year ago at Thomas Nevers Field.
 
On Richards' fourth career game-winning goal, a head ball in the defensive box gave Eastern possession. Junior Caleb Ennin (East Hartford) won the ball on Eastern's side of midfield and a long ball out of the box set up Richards near the top of the 18-yard offensive box. Richards gained control of the ball from a Mitchell defender, dribbled to his left around a charging Kinsella who came out in an attempt to win the ball, and slid it into the open net with a left-footed shot.
 
Eastern remained unbeaten (5-0-0) all-time against Mitchell, showing a 16-1 advantage in goals in those five wins.
 
Yeich, who needed to make ten saves to record his first win of the season Saturday at Framingham State University en route to Little East Conference Goalkeeper-of-the-Week honors, did not need a save to post his second career shutout in five career starts. In three appearances this year, Yeich has a 0.48 goals-against average in 188 minutes. It marked Mitchell's third shutout loss this year.
 
The three-time defending Little East Conference champion Warriors open their conference season Saturday, hosting the University of Massachusetts Boston at 1 p.m. at Thomas Nevers Field in the Beacons' sixth straight road game to open the season. Ranked first in the LEC pre-season coaches' poll, Eastern brings a four-game unbeaten (3-0-1) streak against the Beacons into play, two of the wins coming by shutout.
 
UMass Boston (1-2-1) was playing at Worcester State University Wednesday night in a non-conference contest.
 
Richards scored the only goal – the first of his career -- in the 19^th minute and Dylan Pallanck (Willington) made a career-high (to that point) eight saves in Eastern's 1-0 victory over the Beacons last year at James Cotter Field in the conference opener for both programs. The Warriors were outshot 18-5 in that match but Pallanck extended his scoreless streak to 327 minutes and 44 seconds against regional opponents to backstop the victory.
 
Eastern (4) and UMass Boston (3) have combined to win seven of the last ten LEC tournament championships.