Field Hockey Blanked by Eastern Connecticut 1-0

Mansfield, Conn. – Junior back Erica Malito (Killingly) scored her second goal of the season ten minutes into the second half and senior goalie Tia Mucciarone (Franklin,MA) posted her first shutout of the season as the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team halted a seven-game skid with a 1-0 Little East Conference victory over Framingham State University Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

A 6-1 loser to Framingham (4-7, 2-5 little east) a year ago when the Rams shared the regular-season LEC championship and advanced to the tournament semifinals, Eastern (3-9, 1-6 little east) recorded its first shutout of the season as it broke into the conference win column.

The goal was the first of the season since the opener for Malito, who began the scoring thrust when she took the team's first of only two penalty corners in the match.  She scored from in front of the cage on a pass from junior midfielder Liz Bolduc (Stonington), who was credited with her first assist of the season, fifth of her career.

Mucciarone's win was her first since her second start of the season. She made five saves to outduel Framingham senior goalie Allesha Kenyon (Westford, MA) and post the the squad's first shutout of the season.

Eastern played the match without senior sweeper Rachel Cocola (South Windsor), who missed her first start of the season with a bruised foot sustained in the team's previous match against Wesleyan Thursday. The Warriors got outstanding midfield play from junior Rochelle Normandin (South Windsor) and senior forward Ashley Del Vecchio (Fairfield). Normandin controlled the midfield for the Warriors with her stickhandling and ball-carrying ability while Del Vecchio forced Kenyon to make saves on all three of her shots.

Eastern visits Lasell College Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., while the Rams travel to Clark University on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

 Release courtesy of ECSU Sports Information.