TROY, N.Y. – In the first meeting ever between the programs, RPI came back from an early deficit to defeat Eastern Connecticut State University, 2-1 in a non-conference field hockey match that sent the Warriors to their third one-goal loss in the last ten days Saturday afternoon at Harkness Field.
 
After five opening losses, RPI (3-5) won its third straight game, evening its record against Little East Conference opponents following a 6-2 loss at VTSU Castleton in its last loss ten days ago. Eastern's (2-5-1) last three losses have come by one goal, with the Warriors dropping to 2-3 this year away from Rick McCarthy Field.
 
In one of the earliest goals in program history,  Isabel Sanchez (Weston)  became the eighth different play to score this year for Eastern when she beat RPI sophomore goalie Tess Garchinsky, who had stopped Eastern's opening shot by senior Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford) seconds earlier, then turned back Sanchez' first shot before the senior scored on the rebound. Drobish had carried the ball toward the right edge of the cage, where she got a shot off from close range that was foiled by Garchinsky. Drobish retained the ball and sent it toward the front of the cage, where Sanchez collected it and took a shot that was also saved. The rebound caromed right back to the forward and she responded with her 14^th career goal (Sanchez was the team's second-leading goal-scorer, with ten, on the 2021 Little East tournament championship team).
 
Following its three-shot barrage in the opening minute, Eastern managed only one more the rest of the way and was outshot, 18-4, in all. RPI held a 10-3 advantage in penalty corners.

RPI got the goal back later in the frame when senior Maura Kiernan knocked in a feed from Ria Patel at the 7:55 mark. Patel drove down the right alley and sent the ball toward goal. Kiernan held off a defender to get to the it, deflecting it past junior goalkeeper Hannah Jalowiec (Cheshire) for her first goal of the year.

Junior Abby Peterson broke the deadlock when she scored in the third. Patel carried the ball down the right side, this time along the sideline, before having it knocked off her stick. Jalowiec kicked it out, but it went right back to Patel, who centered it to Nina Caprio in the middle of the arc. Caprio had her shot blocked but the loose ball bounced off a defender and toward to goal line. Peterson was there to finish the play for her fourth goal of the season.

Jalowiec finished with four saves, two coming in the first quarter and two in the third. Garchinsky had three.

 Eastern visits Roger Williams University Wednesday at 4 p.m., looking for its second win in the five-game series. The last three outcomes have been determined by one goal – Roger Williams winning two by identical 2-1 scores. In the last meeting at Roger Williams' Bayside Field in 2021, Eastern came away with a 1-0 win on current junior Liz LaMarco's (West Hartford) goal in the final minute of the third period.
 
RPI Sports Information contributed to this game account.