GORHAM, Maine -- Senior Meghan Gaudette (Colchester, Conn.) scored three times in the first 26 minutes to lead Eastern Connecticut State University to a 5-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine in a Little East Conference women's soccer match Saturday at the USM Soccer Field.
The win lifts the Warriors' overall record to 8-3-1, and keeps them unbeaten in the conference at 4-0-1. The Warriors, who have now beaten the Huskies nine straight times, will at least retain a share of the top spot in conference pending the results of tonight's match between Western Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
The Huskies, who snapped a seven-match winless streak on Wednesday with an overtime victory against Colby College, slip to 4-8-1 overall and 0-4-1 in the conference.
The Huskies had no match defensively for Gaudette, who netted her first goal of the match in the sixth minute by winning a loose ball in the box and firing an eight-yard shot past USM junior goalkeeper Alison Bradley (Auckland, New Zealand).
Junior Sarah Swann (Oxford, Conn.) was on the receiving end of cross from senior Meghan Ryczek (East Haddam, Conn.) to touch home the Warriors second goal in the 11th minute.
Gaudette scored in the 21st minute converting a pass from Swann, and again in the 26th minute on a header off a cross from freshman Sam Konopka (Hebron, Conn.).
Gaudette had a hand in the final goal of the match as her long-range shot was saved by Bradley, but the rebound was touched home by Ryczek in the last minute of play.
Junior goalkeeper Kim Church (Farmington, Conn.) played the opening 69:30 for Eastern Connecticut making three saves. Sophomore Caitlin Cravens (Ellsworth, Maine) played the final 20:30 and did not register a save. Bradley finished the match stopping seven shots.
Eastern Connecticut held the edge in play rolling up a 21-6 advantage in shots and a 7-1 lead in corner kicks.
Southern Maine returns to action on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) when it travels to Framingham State College for a non-conference match. Eastern Connecticut travels to Trinity College, also on Wednesday (3:00 p.m.).
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