Eastern Connecticut State University

ONEONTA, N.Y. -- For the first time this season, the Eastern Connecticut State University Women's Soccer offense was stifled, falling in a 1-0 decision on the road to SUNY Oneonta in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon. The last time the Warriors were shut out came against WestConn at home in the Little East Conference Semifinals last season, 2-0, snapping a seven-match streak in which they had come away with at least one goal.

An 18th-minute goal by senior defender Brenna Mast was the difference maker in this one, as senior defender Dominique DiOrio's corner kick went off a couple of players in the box, including senior midfielder Gianna Hanner, before Mast found her way around junior goalkeeper Alex Ignatowicz for the score. On the day, Ignatowicz would finish with two saves, one in each half, as the Warriors outshot the Red Dragons, 10-6 overall and 4-3 in shots on goal. 

Junior goalkeeper Emily Hardison stopped all four shots she faced from the Eastern offense, which also rattled off 11 corner kicks, including a couple of dangerous ones down the stretch, in which Hardison had to punch the ball out of harm's way for SUNY Oneonta. Sophomore forward Michaela Gasparri led the offense with three shots in 85 minutes, all of which went on goal against Hardison, while first-year forward Emily McKelvey accounted for the only other shot on goal that the Warriors would manufacture. 

In the all-time series, this was the fourth matchup between the two sides, all of which ended in a shutout or 1-0 final. Eastern's only win over SUNY Oneonta came during the 2001 season in a 1-0 victory. Before falling in 2003, 1-0, in neutral-site play. Nine years before renewing the head-to-head, the 2017 match saw the teams work to a 0-0 draw in double overtime, before today's 1-0 decision that marked the first road match for the Warriors against the Red Dragons.

With Tuesday's home match canceled against the University of Hartford due to shifting schedules because of the Nor'easter this weekend, Little East Conference play will await Eastern on Friday afternoon when they head to New Hampshire to take on Plymouth State University at 3:00 PM in the first of three consecutive LEC matches. Since the 2014 season, the Warriors are 12-1-2 against the Panthers, remaining unbeaten in five straight matches since the 2021 season, including winning the last two by scores of 2-0 and 4-1.