Box Score
GORHAM, Maine -- The Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team parlayed six shots into the only two goals it would need as the Warriors opened their Little East Conference season by winning their fourth match in the last five outings, 2-1, over the University of Southern Maine Saturday at Hannaford Field.

Despite playing eight of its 11 matches away from Rick McCarthy Field, Eastern (5-6, 1-0 LEC) moved to within a victory of .500 and evened its road record at 4-4 and its record against Southern Maine (5-6, 0-1 LEC) to 3-3 in the last six meetings. Eastern won its LEC opener for the first time since trimming Southern Maine, 3-2 in overtime, on the way to the LEC playoff championship in 2021. USM had a modest two-game winning streak snapped in dropping to 2-5 this year at home.

Eastern's high-scoring trio of senior Emma Sanson (Thomaston), junior Grace Barlage (Guilford) and sophomore Audrey Molin (Vernon) combined to take five of the team's six shots, with Sanson scoring the first goal -- her sixth of the year -- midway through the third quarter following a scoreless first half and assisting with her penalty corner on Barlage's  team-tying seventh with five minutes left. The Huskies got one back just 23 seconds later on freshman Maddie Niles' fourth goal of the season. Southern Maine's bid to tie the match less than a minute later was denied by Eastern senior goalie Hannah Jalowiec (Cheshire) and the Huskies' sixth and final penalty corner with just under two minutes resulted netted them nothing as the Warriors hung on.

Making her third straight start, Jalowiec made five saves in winning her second match in three decisions and lowering her goals-against average to 1.75.

This year, Barlage, Molin and Sanson have combined to score 20 of the team's 24 goals and record six of its 15 assists. Sanson leads active players with 28 career goals and 11 assists for 67 points, with Barlage at 18 goals, ten assists and 46 points.