Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – A new-look defense playing against a high-powered offense distinguished itself in its season-opener Friday night, allowing only two penalty corners and eight shots to reach goal as the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team dropped a 1-0 non-conference decision to Johnson & Wales University at Rick McCarthy Field.

Despite having lost three of its four starting defenders and a goalie which started all 18 games, Eastern shut out the Wildcats over the first 22 minutes Friday and over the last 38 minutes, allowing only a goal off the bench from freshman forward Faith Miguel that stood up.

Johnson & Wales had returned two of last year's top three scorers and half of its players who had reached double-figures in points during a memorable season which included a 17-game winning streak prior to the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats averaged nearly four goals per game in winning 18 of 22 games a year ago and compiling a perfect 12-0 season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.
The Wildcats downed the Warriors for the fourth straight year but was held in check Friday night after outscoring Eastern, 11-3 in their previous three wins.

Returning starting defender Angelina Falleni (Byram, NJ), a senior co-captain, was joined in the Eastern starting defense in the season-opener by three first-year junior starters in
Katie Harrington (Keene, NH) and Savannah Goodness (New Fairfield) and starting goalie Veronica McKenna (Wethersfield). McKenna was making her first start in two years, having come off the bench five times as a sophomore. McKenna made four saves.

While Eastern's offense managed only three shots and forced two Wildcat goalies to make only one save, veteran midfielders Grace Barlage (Guilford) and Rebecca Minaya (Stafford) helped the Warriors control a large portion of the match, especially in a scoreless first quarter where each team managed only one shot and no penalty corners.

In all, each team was limited to only two penalty corners each – none coming over the first 23 minutes. The Warriors were credited with the first penalty corner of the match midway through the second quarter and gained their second one trying to push across the equalizer inside the final two minutes but were unable to get of a shot.

Eastern visits Regis College Thursday at 4 p.m. in a non-conference match. The Warriors have won all six meetings in the all-time series, including 5-0 a year ago at McCarthy Field.