WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Unable to get untracked in the first half, the University of Massachusetts Boston men's soccer team found its groove in the second, scoring twice in the final 22 minutes to break a tie and post a 3-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
 
Trailing 1-0 when Eastern sophomore Logan Brennan (Farmington) scored his team-leading fourth goal of the  year in the sixth minute of play, UMass (3-2-1)  sent bids over the crossbar in the opening six minutes of the second half before finally breaking through with three goals in a span of 24 minutes later in the period to snap a four-game (0-3-1) winless streak at the hands of the Warriors.
 
Ranked first in the LEC pre-season coaches' poll, Eastern (2-2-2) is the three-time defending conference regular-season champion and the 2021 tournament titlist. UMass Boston was ranked third in the pre-season poll. The teams have combined to win seven of the last ten LEC tournament titles.
 
Playing its sixth straight road game to open the season, UMass had 11 of its 14 shots in the second half, with sophomores Annilson DePina Fernandes, and Dylan Kelley and  junior Josh DeAlmeida each striking with goals from inside the box as the Beacons scored the most regular-season goals against Eastern since a 3-2 home win in 1999.
 
Junior keeper Qasim El-Ashkar made four saves to even his record at 2-2-1 and give UMass Boston its second straight win on the heels of a two-game losing streak. Eastern was playing its first game this year at Thomas Nevers Field, having dropped a 2-0 non-conference decision to Wesleyan University Sept. 7 at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
UMass was unable to gain traction in the first half --- with a shot wide right by freshman Nick Braganca  and a header wide of the left post with ten second left in the period by DeAlmeida -- the only thing resembling scoring threats.
 
The Beacons came out strong in the second half, however, with DePina Fernandes and freshman Ryan Lima both finding room and sending hard blasts over the crossbar before the visitors finally evened the score on DePina Fernandes' first goal of the year with only eight minutes gone. On a perfect pass from freshman Luan Cruz, DePina Fernandes was able to outmaneuver a defender in the box and volley a shot inside the right post from close range past Eastern junior keeper Dylan Pallanck (Willington).

UMass continued to apply pressure – missing an open header off a cross from the left by sophomore Logan Erickson Potter (Swansea, MA), a one-timer by Braganca off a give-and-go with Lima and Braganca's drive which banged off the crossbar – before the Beacons struck twice with the go-ahead goal and insurance marker in a span of eight minutes. DePina Fernandes set up Kelley's first goal of the year in the 69^th minute – a low drive from the middle of the box past a screened Pallanck – to give UMass the go-ahead goal, and DeAlmeida connected on a left-footed shot off a feed from Lima that settled under the crossbar with 13 minutes left.
 
Eastern was limited to five shots in the second half, two coming in a one-minute span midway through the period when the score was tied. Senior defender Larson Richards (Mansfield) headed a feed from sophomore Ryan Toomey (Willington) wide of the left post, and first-year player Cayden Boukus (Mansfield)  sent his 25-yarder over the net in what was Eastern's only two real chances.
 
Eastern hosts Fisher College Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in a non-conference match at Nevers Field.