MANSFIELD, Conn. - Junior back Erika Malito (Killingly, Conn.) scored her first career goal on a penalty stroke with six minutes left that snapped a tie and sent the Eastern Connecticut State University field hockey team to a 3-1 season-opening victory Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

It was Eastern's fifth victory in a season opener in the last eight years and follows a 4-0 season-opening setback a year ago at Salve Regina University (0-2).

All of the goals in the match came in the second half. Eighty seconds after Salve Regina had tied the match on a rebound goal by sophomore midfielder Sarah Bambury (Fairport, N.Y.), Malito fired a penaly stroke goal inside the left post after being awarded the free shot after interference was called on a Salve Regina defender while Malito was en route to the goal.

Junior goalie Danielle Reichardt (Ocean Township, N.J.) made five saves to post the victory and also got a defensive save from freshman defender Kelly Gawron (Ramsey, N.J.) late in the game. Gawron was the only freshman starter for Eastern. Reichardt has been credited with the team's last five wins dating back to 2008.

The Warriors had the better of play after the opening minutes of the match and broke through with the first goal four minutes into the second half when junior forward Elise Zarcaro (Enfield, Conn.) threaded a leading pass to senior forward Dana McLaughlin (West Hartford, Conn.), who slipped a shot through the legs of Salve Regina junior goalie Natalie Balletta (Leominster, Mass.) from close range. Salve Regina was held without a penalty corner in the second half, but finally tied the match with 7:34 left. A shot by freshman forward Heather Kapatoes (Hopedale, Mass.) in traffic was knocked down by Gawron at the left post, but Bambury knocked in the rebound from long range.

After Malito's go-ahead goal less than two minutes later, junior forward Ali Chapman (Watertown, Conn.) added an insurance marker with her sixth career goal on a pass from senior forward Ashley Del Vecchio (Fairfield, Conn.). Del Vecchio had made several scoring bids in the first half by taking three of the team's five shots.

(Courtesy of Eastern Connecticut State sports information)