Eastern Connecticut 2, Worcester State 0
Mansfield, CT --- The Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team dominated play from start to finish Saturday afternoon in posting a 2-0 Little East Conference season-ending victory over Worcester State College.
Eastern (5-13, 2-9 Little East) got goals from freshman Jaime Mugavero (Clinton, CT) and sophomore Ashley Del Vecchio (Fairfield, CT) to close its 12th intercollegiate season with its first home win of the year after six losses. The victory also ends a six-game losing streak at the hands of Worcester State (11-8, 6-5 little east), which will be seeded No. 7 in the eight-team Little East Conference playoffs, which get underway with quarterfinal-round matches Tuesday. The Lancers visit No. 2 Plymouth State University in the first round.
Eastern outshot Worcester, 17-3, and had a 10-3 advantage in penalty corners. The visitors did not record their first shot until five minutes had elapsed in the second half, and were down by the 2-0 margin at the time.
Mugavero scored moments after entering the match midway through the first half, scoring into an open net for her second goal of the year after Worcester senior keeper Erin MacDonald (Dedham, MA) got tangled up with an Eastern player after charging out of the net to knock away a loose ball. Del Vecchio made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half when she worked a give-and-go with senior midfielder Drew Gomes (Thomaston, CT)
Junior Joslin Wells (Marstons Mills, MA) began the sequence by winning a loose ball near mid field and passing to Del Vecchio. Operating in the middle of the field, DelVecchio found Gomes on the right wing, the hustled to the front of the cage and took a return pass to score on a shot directly in front of MacDonald.
Freshman keeper Danielle Reichardt (Ocean Township, NJ) did not make a save in recording her third win in seven decisions. Junior Tia Mucciarone (Franklin, MA) turned aside two shots to preserve the team's third shutout. Mucciarone made the duo's first save with 19 minutes left when she kicked out a bid by Worcester sophomore Erin Moore (Brimfield, MA).
Release Courtesy of Eastern Connecticut Sports Information