#14 Eastern Connecticut Tops Fitchburg State, 4-1

Kennedy nets lone goal in Falcons season-opening loss

MANSFIELD, Conn. (September 2, 2011) – Junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange, Conn.)  registered three points with one goal and one assist as No. 14 ranked, Eastern Connecticut State University defeated Fitchburg State University, 4-1 in women's soccer action this evening.

Ranked No. 14 nationally in the pre-season, Eastern Connecticut outshot Fitchburg State 17-2 and limited the Falcons to one corner kick in posting its 20th consecutive regular season victory.

Eastern broke the contest open from its 0-0 deadlock, posting  a pair of goals in just a three minute span late in the first half.  The Warriors tacked on another score just one minute into the first half, posting a 3-0 advantage on sophomore Nicole Leonard's (Rutherford, N.J.) fifth career goal. Freshman midfielder Maggie Slivinski (Wallingford, Conn.) came off the bench in the second half  and capped the game's scoring with first collegiate marker in the 58th minute.

Senior forward Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel, Conn.) put Eastern ahead for good in the 31st minute of the match when she one-timed a score inside the left post. Senior Carissa Kennedy (Somerset, Mass./Bishop Stang) scored the lone goal for the Falcons using a Rachel Jamieson (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) assist in the 54th minute of the game.

In net, sophomore Jillian Kirouac (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) earned a majority of the time for Fitchburg State, totaling two saves over 66 minutes of wok, while freshman Kelsey Ford (Franconia, N.H./Profile School) notched one save in her 23 minutes effort.

Fitchburg State (0-1, 0-0 MASCAC) will meet Manhattanville College tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern Connecticut (1-0, 0-0 LEC) will face Saint Joseph's for the ECSU Tournament Championship at 7:15 p.m.

Eastern Connecticut 4, Fitchburg State 1