(Box
Score)
WILIMANTIC, Conn. - Sophomore Jo-Ann Merheb
(Bethel, Conn.) and senior Sarah Swann (Oxford, Conn.) broke a
scoreless tie midway through the first half with goals three
minutes apart and the Eastern Connecticut State University women's
soccer team went on to a 5-1 victory over Plymouth State University
that ensured the Warriors of the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Little
East Conference playoffs.
Eastern (10-5-3, 5-1-1 LEC) shares second place in the conference
standings with UMass Boston and was awarded the No. 2 seed based on
a tie-breaker. PSU wraps up the season at 6-9-2 overall and
1-6 in LEC play and will miss the LEC Tournament for the first
time.
PSU managed only four shots in the match but scored on one of its
two first-half shots seven minutes before the break. Freshman
Julie Behan (Laconia, N.H.) came off the bench to
score Plymouth State's only goal. Taking the team's only corner
kick of the match, senior Lauren Lavery (Nashua,
NH) sent the kick to the foot of Behan, who settled the ball on the
right side of the box and fired it across the box inside the left
post.
Although the Warriors controlled the tempo, they were unable to
score the decisive fourth goal of the match until there were 12
minutes gone in the second half. Freshman Taylor Buchanan (Enfield,
Conn.) helped Eastern re-gain the scoring edge by scoring on a
penalty kick. Aided by a stiff wind, Buchanan's serve from the left
corner sailed to the far post and tipped off the hand of the PSU
keeper to give the Warriors a needed 3-1 lead.
Buchanan's goal opened the flood gates for Eastern, with junior
Lauren Hickey (Southwick, Mass.) and Swann adding goals that gave
Eastern three goals in a 10-minute span. Buchanan set up Hickey's
goal with a corner kick into the box that deflected off a PSU
defender. At the top of the box, Hickey hammered a one-timer under
the cross bar to make it 4-1. Swann's 13th goal of the season in
the 68th minute followed a long run down the left side
as she slipped a low shot inside the
post.
(Courtesy of Eastern Connecticut Sports
Information)
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