Box Score
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University defense has kept the Warriors within striking distance in most every match this season, and Wednesday was no exception as once-beaten Salve Regina University was unable to capitalize on significant advantages in shots and penalty corner before hanging on for a 3-2 non-conference win at Gauden Field.

Having averaged roughly four goals per match and coming off consecutive shutouts by a combined margin of 9-0, Salve (8-1) never trailed against Eastern (4-6) but was never able to pull away, either. The Warriors tied the game, 1-1, late in the third quarter and after the Seahawks scored twice in a span of 5+ minutes in the third quarter to first go ahead, and then add a pad goal, Eastern bounced back again to cut the gap to one goal with 1:21 left.

The Warriors were coming off a pair of shutout wins but  first-team All-Region senior Julia Decker gave Salve a quick 1-0 lead in the fifth minute Wednesday, and later added that pad goal -- her 12th of the season -- to make it 3-1 with 4:25 left in the match.

Sophomore Audrey Molin (Vernon) scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season on sophomore Rebecca Minaya's (Stafford) team-leading fifth assist of the year, Minaya re-directing a crossing pass from senior Emma Sanson (Thomaston)  that allowed the Warriors to wipe out Salve's early lead and tie the match in the 40th minute. With the Warriors trailing 3-1, junior Grace Barlage (Guilford) knocked in her sixth goal of the season (for her team-leading 14th and 15th points) to give the Warriors late life.

Making her third start of the season, senior Hannah Jalowiec (Cheshire) and her defense kept the game close despite the Seahawks' 17-4 advantage in shots and +8 margin in penalty corners. Jalowiec stopped a career-high 11 shots, eight in the first half that kept the Warriors within one goal at halftime. 

Since losing consecutive matches in the series by a combined 11-2 score, Eastern has battled the Seahawks, winning at Gaudet Field, 3-1, in 2022 before dropping a 3-1 contest at Rick McCarthy Field last year. It was the first one-goal decision in the 11-game series since Eastern won by a 2-1 margin at home in both 1999 (in overtime) and in 2001.

Eastern opens its Little East Conference season Saturday  at the University of Southern Maine (4-5, 0-0 LEC) on its Homecoming Weekend at noon at Hannaford Field. (The Huskies visit Worcester State University in a non-conference match Thursday).Sanson and Minaya each scored twice in Eastern's 4-1 regular-season win over USM at Rick McCarthy Field but the fifth-seeded Huskies rebounded to eliminate fourth-seeded Eastern in the first round of last year's LEC playoffs at McCarthy Field.