Eastern Connecticut State University

MANSFIELD, Conn. -- The last time Eastern Connecticut State Women's Soccer team won the Little East Conference Championship at home, most of the current Warrior squad either had not been born yet or were just born. The year was 2005 when Eastern took down Keene State College, 2-0; on top of that, it had been 15 years since the last LEC title for the Warriors, another affair against the Owls on the road ending in a 3-2 victory in penalty kicks.

On Saturday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field, both of those droughts came to an end as Eastern Connecticut downed UMass Boston, 3-1, in the first-ever LEC Championship meeting between the two programs. Junior midfielder Glenda Zhiminaicela, who had two assists, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, after also having a goal in the LEC Semifinals against Rhode Island College.

In the history of the program, Eastern has made 11 LEC Championship matches, capturing five championships, and earning seven NCAA Tournament appearances after today's conference-clinching win. The title also put Eastern at 13 wins for the season, their most since the 2014-2016 seasons when the Warriors had three consecutive 13-win seasons under Hall of Fame Head Coach Chris D'Ambrosio. 

With the NCAA Tournament being at a neutral site for Eastern, they close 2026 going a program-record 9-0-0 at Rick McCarthy Field. The previous single-season high was eight home wins in 2001 and 2018, making this the best home winning percentage in program history based solely on win total.

On the field, the record-breaking season for first-year forward Emily McKelvey continued on as two more goals from the Connecticut native gave her 16 goals on the year, tying her for fourth all-time in single-season goals. Now sitting at 35 points on the year as well, McKelvey sits alone in eighth place for the most single-season points, while sophomore forward Michaela Gasparri's one assist gave her 11 this year, placing her tied for fourth in single-season assists for the program. 

Junior forward Devan Booth got the first strike off for either side, firing on junior goalkeeper Alex Igantowicz, who made the stop, before the Eastern offense took control of the affair. The best chance the Warriors had in the early going to take the lead came in the 22nd minute as McKelvey's shot from the left side rose above sophomore goalkeeper Janiya Morales Matier and banged off the crossbar and out.

However, McKelvey would end up avenging that chance in the 27th minute, as a throw-in from graduate midfielder Kylie Gentile hit the first-year forward's foot as she danced towards the middle of the field and fired into the top left corner of the net past Morales Matier. As time wound down on the half, a corner attempt from the Beacons would nearly go on target, but Ignatowicz came out of the goal to push the shot out of harm's way. 

That save would shift momentum back in favor of the Warriors as a turnover on the defensive end by the Beacons led to a rush from Zhiminaicela and Gasparri, which found junior midfielder Faith Corona in space for the breakaway one-on-one shot against Morales Matier, converting in the bottom left corner. 

But UMass Boston did not go quietly as immediately out of the halftime break, a corner kick led to a conversion in the box to cut the Eastern lead in half, 2-1. After pushing the ball outside of the box, both sophomore midfielder Lorelai Leddy and first-year defender Camryn Trick moved the ball around into the box for junior forward Lucinda Cotter's score.

The Beacon offense continued to press as junior forward Daniella Celotto narrowly missed a couple of shots, both high or wide off turnovers, before the Warriors were able to compose themselves and regain control of the match. That poise led to a couple of shots from first-year forward Alana Burnell, which were turned away by Morales Matier, along with a cross in from McKelvey to Burnell, which was quelled.

This all came before McKelvey's second goal on a rush down the right side of the pitch, which iced the game and the LEC Championship crown for Eastern, in the 81st minute. The Warrior offense ripped off 22 shots against UMass Boston, forcing Morales Matier to make seven saves, while Ignatowicz made two saves on three attempts from the Beacons. 

Eastern will await the NCAA Division III Tournament Selection Show on Monday at 11:30 AM to see when and where they will play next weekend in their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance.