GORHAM, Maine –  Sophomore Riley Reitchel (Palermo, Maine/Erskine Academy) scored the game-winning goal in the 64^th minute to break up a scoreless game as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Eastern Connectictu State University Warriors 1-0 in a Little East Conference women's soccer game Friday afternoon at Hannaford Field. 
 
The Huskies are undefeated in their opening six games of 2023 (5-0-1), and are 4-0 at home at Hannaford Field.  Southern Maine has outscored its opponents 16-2 at home and 19-4 overall. Southern Maine has shutout three of its six opponents.
 
The Records:
Eastern Connecticut (1-3-0, 0-1 LEC)
Southern Maine (5-0-1, 1-0 LEC)
 
Today's game marks the 40^th meeting between the University of Southern Maine and the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors.  Eastern Connecticut leads the overall series 31-6-3. The Huskies are 4-0-1 against the Warriors in their last five meetings.
 
How It Happened:

•  Both teams battled through a scoreless first half with the Warriors outshooting Southern Maine 6-3 (3-2 on goal).  USM senior goalkeeper Breanna Atwood (Franklin, Mass.) made a pair of saves in the first half, while ECSU's Emily Wallace made three saves for the Warriors.
• Southern Maine pressed to start the second half nearly had a goal in the opening minutes of the half as senior Ashley Sabatino (Scarborough, Maine) rattled a shot off of the cross bar. USM continued to create chances and had six shots (two on goal) in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.
• After earning just their second corner kick of the game, the Huskies broke through for a goal as junior Julia McKenna (Windham, Maine) sent in a service, finding Reitchel on the far post for the game-deciding goal.
• ECSU had three more chances in the second half.  Sara Honold turned one on frame off of one of the Warriors three corner kicks in the game, and the only one of the second half, but Atwood was up to the task, making the save for the shutout.

 
The Goalkeepers:
ECSU, Emily Wallace (0-2), 90:00, 1 GA, 10 saves
SM, Breanna Atwood (5-0-1), 90:00, 0 GA, 3 saves
 
Inside The Stats:

• Atwood's shutout is her first of 2023 and 16^th of her career.  She is currently second in USM career records behind Husky Hall of Fame inductee Samantha Whitman's 19 career shutouts. Whitman played for Southern Maine from 1997-2000. Atwood previously broke Whitman's single-season record for shutouts with 11 in 2022.
• Reitchel is now one of four Husky players with three goals this season.  It is the first game-winning goal for 2023 for Reitchel and second of her career.
• McKenna leads the Huskies with three assists this season.  She has five in her career. McKenna has recorded a point in five of the Huskies' six games this season.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine is on the road for its next two contests traveling to nearby Bowdoin College on Tuesday (5:00 pm) for a non-conference game. The Huskies then head to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (4:00 pm) for an LEC contest.  USM is back at home on Wednesday, September 27 (7:00 pm) hosting Little East opponent Plymouth State.