MANSFIELD, Conn. -  The saying goes that in sports, defense wins. That was not the case when the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team faced Plymouth State University in a Little East Conference contest Saturday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
While defense didn't provide a win, it surely prevented a loss, and by doing so, kept Eastern (4-5-2, 1-3-2 LEC) a point ahead of Plymouth (3-7-3, 1-5-1) for the sixth and final LEC playoff spot.
 
Although the Warriors' offense remained in neutral and was shut out for the fifth time this year– partly due to injuries to several top offensive threats – the defense remained in overdrive, allowing Eastern to escape with a scoreless tie for the second straight year with the Panthers.
 
Eastern's defense had several close calls but was able to keep Plymouth off the scoreboard for only the second time since the Panthers'  opening game. Since losing three of its first four, Eastern has lost only two of its last seven (3-2-2). It was Eastern's first scoreless draw this year and second for Plymouth – first since tying its opener at New England College Sept. 1
 

First-year keeper Kaeden Dublin (Maple Grove, MN) and center backs Grace Muller (Johnston, RI) and Daria DiBiasio (Richmond, RI) orchestrated the shutout. Muller and DiBiasio played all 90 minutes, as did fellow defender Arianna Tomassi (Guilford), while Dublin submitted a  five-save performance after taking over in net from senior Emily Wallace (Smithtown, NY) to start the second half.
 
Plymouth had no less than five serious chances to score in the second half off of corner kicks, re-starts and dangerous crosses, but came up empty as Dublin lowered her goals-against average to 1.14 and raised her save percentage to .840 (With one first-half save, Wallace's save percentage went up a tick to .927 and her GAA down a tick to 0.53.
 
One of Plymouth's best scoring opportunities came 16 minutes into the second half. Following a hard foul by Eastern, Erin Cammarota drove a free kick from well outside the box over a three-person wall and toward the left post. Coming hard off her line, Dublin dove to knock it away. The rebound landed in the box but Plymouth could not corral the loose ball before Eastern junior midfielder Sara Honold (Wantage, NJ) cleared it out of bounds.
 
Most of the game – and especially the second half – was played in the Panthers' offensive end, but Plymouth could not convert any of its nine shots or ten corner kicks.
 
Three minutes after denying Cammarota, Dublin diffused dangerous attempts from Oliva Howard four minutes part. On the first, Dublin again came off her line to clear Howard's corner kick out the box, then dove to her right to knock the ball away when Howard ripped a shot from the top of the box. With 12 minutes left, McKayla Palhof sent a perfect thru-ball ahead to Cammarota for what would have been a certain breakaway, but Dublin sprinted out and beat Cammarota to the ball to prevent a shot.
 
Eastern was held to only two shots – one on goal – with its first shot coming 42 minutes into play.
 
While Eastern substituted freely with seven reserves (excluding Dublin) averaging 40 minutes, Plymouth utilized only one sub for 26 minutes, with nine players going the distance.
 
While the Warriors have struggled by averaging only one goal per match this year, the defense has allowed 0.73 goals per match, allowing more than one goal just once in a 2-1 LEC home loss to Rhode Island College Sept. 27. Wallace and Dublin have combined on a .900 save percentage – second best in the conference.
 
Eastern visits Connecticut College Wednesday in a non-conference match before returning to conference play next Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.