Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – One of the finest performances of the season notwithstanding, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's field hockey team fell to unbeaten Salve Regina University, 3-1 Wednesday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field in a nonconference matchup.
After the score being tied at 1-1 for 41 minutes, two quick goals in the final period from the Seahawks(9-0) sealed the game.
In their tenth meeting ever, first-year player
Rebecca Minaya (Stafford) scored the game's first goal just six minutes in, but it proved to be Eastern's (4-3) only goal. This is her second goal of the season and was assisted by sophomore
Grace Barlage (Guilford).
The Seahawks responded four minutes later with a goal from graduate forward Shannon Kennedy assisted by Molly Kearney. The Seahawk's fourth period goals were scored by Angelina Regels unassisted, and Georgia Costello assisted by Julia Decker.
Senior goalkeeper
Kiana Webster (Raymond, ME) had career-high 10 saves in her best outing of the year, limiting the Seahawks to just that one goal over the first 51 minutes before the visitors broke the tie on a re-directed goal with nine minutes left in the match and added an insurance marker with 59.6 seconds left that made the final margin two goals.
Salve Regina, which averaged more than four goals a match heading into the contest, outshot the Warriors 20-11 and had a 7-6 edge in penalty corners. Salve junior Julia Decker, the team-leader with ten goals, managed the one assist but was limited to just two shots and no goals by a stalwart defense led by starters
Aly Kendrick (North Branford), Emma Stearns (Medway, MA), Angelina Falleni (Byram, NJ) and
Morgan Anjos (Westfield, MA) and defensive midfielder
Liz LaMarco (West Hartford).
The Warriors had beaten the Seahawks in the most recent matchup back in 2022 by a score of 3-1. Salve Regina ties the overall series against the Warriors at 5-5.
Eastern travels to University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for its Little East Conference opener Saturday at noon at Cressy Field.. The Warriors look for redemption from last year's matchup where they were defeated 2-1. The Corsairs (3-8, 0-2 LEC) look to snap a five-game losing streak Wednesday at Framingham State University in a non-conference match. Against common opponents, both Eastern and UMass shut out Regis College, 5-0 this year while the Corsairs dropped a 6-0 home decision to Salve Reginal back on Sept. 17. Against Framingham, Eastern won, 2-0 Sept. 25.
