Box Score
FITCHBURG, Mass. --  The Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team continued its mastery of Fitchburg State University Tuesday night, shutting out the Falcons for the ninth time in the 11-game series, 3-0 in a non-conference match at Elliot Field.
 
First-year forward Brooke Bolles (Preston) scored on two of her three shots for her first two collegiate goals, and sophomore keeper Kaeden Dublin (Maple Grove, MN) recorded her first career full shutout (after sharing three in 2023) with six saves as Eastern (1-1-0) rang up its 11^th straight victory over Fitchburg (0-2-0) in the 11-game series.
 
The teams played scoreless soccer over the final 53 minutes, which was to the Warriors' advantage after Bolles struck twice in a seven-minute span midway through the first half, and senior forward Katelyn Herbert (Bethpage, NY) put the game away, for all intents and purposes, with her first goal of the season and ninth (most among active players) of her 28-game career with eight minutes left in the first half.
 
After Bolles' first goal, Dublin made her third save in the early going by stopping sophomore Noelle Kennedy's drive, and less than three minutes later, Bolles connected on an unassisted goal to make it 2-0 with 29 minutes gone.
 
Senior defender Madison Palmer (Storrs) came off the bench for her first assist in two years, setting up Bolles' first goal, and senior forward Hailey Cocca (Stratford) contributed her fifth career assist (most among active players) on Herbert's marker.
 
Dublin, who shared the 4-0 shutout without making a save in her first career start last year against Fitchburg, made six saves and has not allowed a goal in 135 minutes this year. As a starter, Dublin did not figure in the decision in Eastern's 1-0 season and home-opening loss Saturday to Mount Holyoke College, when she made two saves and left at halftime of a scoreless match.
 
Fitchburg's best chance at spoiling the shutout and cutting into Eastern's 3-0 lead came midway through the second half when junior Charlotte Meixsell's bid sailed just over the crossbar.
 
Eastern outshot the Falcons 17-10 and the defense of starters Daria DiBiasio (Richmond, RI) and Morgan Kelly (Florida, NY) -- both seniors --  sophomore Arianna Tomassi (Guilford) and first-year player Tori Babineau (Charlestown, RI) helped limit Fitchburg to one corner kick – none over the final 63 minutes and 28 seconds.
 
Eastern hosts Skidmore College (1-0-1) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rick McCarthy Field. The Thoroughbreds have not allowed a goal this year,  opening their season in back-to-back games last weekend with a 4-0 victory over St. John Fisher and a scoreless draw with Brockport State. Skidmore will be playing the third of six straight road matches to open the season.
 
The meeting with Skidmore is the third between the clubs but first since the Thoroughbreds posted a 2-0 victory at the Manhattanville College Invitational in 2007. Eastern shut out Skidmore, 6-0, in the first meeting in 2004 at the Plattsburgh State Invitational. Skidmore finished 6-4-6 last year, 1-4-4 in the Liberty League.