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A high resolution image of the photo above from the Eastern women's alumni day Saturday is available by contacting Bob Molta  molta@easternct.edu.

The 2012 recipients of the Holly E. Zimmerman Memorial Award -- junior softball player Katherine Sokoloski (fourth from left) and junior soccer player Mackenzie MacLeod (far right) -- were recognized following Tuesday' night's women's basketball home game. Sololoski and MacLeod became the 30th and 31st recipeints of the award since 1994. The award is named after the late softball and basketball player and student athletic trainer who attended Eastern between 1989 and 1993. Candidates for the award are female student-athletes or student trainers majoring in Physical Education or Sport & Leisure Management who have attained junior status with an overall grade point average of 2.70. The award is presented to commemorate the spirit and love of Holly Zimmerman and exemplifies Holly's qualities of loyalty, thoughtfulness and academic determination, her commitment to helping others, her love of copetition, and her zest for life. Appearing in photo (from left) are committee chairman Dr. David Yeo, head softball coach and committee member Diana Pepin, Steve Sokoloski (father of Katherine), Katherine Sokoloski, head women's soccer coach Chris D'Ambrosio, Marsha Sokoloski (mother of Katherine), Carol MacLeod and Bruce MacLeod (parents of Mackenzi), and Mackenzi MacLeod.

Junior complements all-region selection with scholar all-region honors

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -  For the second consecutive year, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer program has landed a student-athlete on the prestigious National Soccer Coaches' Association of American (NSCAA)  Women's College Scholar All-East Region Team.

Junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) was one of 43 players named to the regional team as the only representative from the eight-team Little East Conference. Marchitto is an Elemenary Education major who was selected to the third team based upon a cumulative 3.72 grade-point average through last spring.

Division II and III student-athletes who have attained junior eligibility are eligible for scholar all-region honors. The East Region is comprised of New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,  Ohio, Virgina, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky.

"Daniela has evolved into the student athlete that we all want to work with here at Eastern Connecticut State University," praised 12th-year head coach Chris D'Ambrosio. "Her combination of a tireless work ethic, academic achievement and athletic excellence makes her a leader on and off the field for our women's soccer and lacrosse programs."

In addition to being the only conference representative, Marchitto was one of only five selections from a New England Division III institution.

Marchitto follows former teammate Lauren Hickey, a first-team all-region and first-team scholar All-America selection a year ago. Last month, senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) was voted as a second-team College Scholar All-Region pick from the Eastern men's soccer program.

Marchitto as been named to the Little East Conference Academic Honor Roll in both seasons of eligibility thus far in soccer and in her first season of eligibility in lacrosse last spring. She will also be honored with an E-Club Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award in May in her first season of elibility.

On the field this past fall, Marchitto was named conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year, to the all-conference team for the third time (second time as a first-teamer) and as fourth-team NSCAA All-New England Region selection.

Also a first-team all-conference selection in lacrosse last season, Marchitto was second in the conference this season in soccer in points (37), goals (15) and game-winning goals (4) and shared second place in assists (7). She contributed a point in 14 of 20 matches, including seven straight heading into the LEC championship game, won on penalty kicks by Eastern over top-seeded Keene State College at Keene, NH. Marchitto's goal was the only one of the match in a semifinal-round home win over Western Connecticut.

Marchitto's final point total this year was the fourth-highest in a season in program history and her goal mark equalled the fourth-highest.  With one year remaining, Marchitto ranks third all-time in goals (33), tied for fifth in points (79), and sixth in game-winning goals (10).

Seeded second, the women (11-9-1) qualified for their third straight (fifth in nine years under D'Ambrosio) NCAA Division III tournament this past year by virtue of a 3-2 penalty-kick shootout win in the championship game of the  Little East tournament  The LEC tournament title was the fourth in nine years for Eastern., whose 6-1-0 LEC regular-season record this past year gave it a 62-9-6 mark - with more than one loss occurring in a season only once -- in regular-season conference play the last 11 seasons.

Aaron Smiles is named first team, Daniela Marchitto fourth team

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Senior defender Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) and junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) - the men's and women's Player-of-the-Year selections in the Little East Conference this past season-- have been named to their respective National Soccer Coaches' Associate of America (NSCAA) All-New England Region teams.

At right: Aaron Smiles (10)

Smiles was named to the men's team for the third time while Marchitto was a first-time selectee. A first-team repeater, Smiles became only the second player in the history of the men's program to receive the honor as many as three times.  A total of 26 players were to the men's All-New England South Team - 13 to the first team and 13 to the second team. Smiles, who will be eligible for NSCAA All-America honors on the basis of his first-team selection, was one of three all-region selections from the Little East Conference.

Marchitto was a fourth-team all-region selection to the women's team, which included 46 players divided into four teams. Marchitto was one of four all-region selections from the Little East, three of whom landed on the fourth team.

At left: Daniela Marchitto (8)

This past year, Smiles was named LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and became only the second Eastern player in 23 years of LEC men's soccer to be named to the all-conference team as many as four times. He earned first-team accolades for the third straight year.   He was also named to the NEISL Senior All-Star Game last month.

Smiles started all 19 matches in which he appeared (missing three with a concussion), averaging 82.8 minutes per match and contributing five assists to improve his career total in that department o 29 - the most by an Eastern player in at least the last 22 seasons.

Under fifth-year head coach Greg DeVito in 2011, Eastern finished 15-6-1 (one win shy of the program record which was set two years ago), 6-1-0 in the Little East and became the first team in the program's 51-year history to record as many as five straight seasons of ten or more wins. The Warriors, ranked eighth in the final NSCAA New England rankings, qualified for post-season play for the fifth straight year, fourth as NCAA tournament participants. Eastern finished with a share of first place in the final conference standings for the third time under DeVito, winning outright its second regular-season title and going on to its third conference tournament championship.

This past year, Marchitto was selected as the Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year - the fourth straight season in which an Eastern player has been tabbed as either the offensive or defensive Player-of-the-Year. The 2009 LEC Rookie-of-the-Year, Marchitto was named to the all-conference team for the third straight time - second time as a first-teamer.

Also a first-team all-conference selection in lacrosse last season, Marchitto was second in the conference this season in points (37), goals (15) and game-winning goals (4) and shared second place in assists (7). She contributed a point in 14 of 20 matches, including seven straight heading into the LEC championship game, won on penalty kicks by Eastern over top-seeded Keene State College at Keene, NH. Marchitto's goal was the only one of the match in a semifinal-round home win over Western Connecticut.

Marchitto's final point total this year was the fourth-highest in a season in program history and her goal mark equalled the fourth-highest.  With one year remaining, Marchitto ranks third all-time in goals (33), tied for fifth in points (79), and sixth in game-winning goals (10).

Seeded second, the women (11-9-1) qualified for their third straight (fifth in nine years under 12th-year head coach Chris D'Ambrosio) NCAA Division III tournament this past year with a 3-2 penalty-kick shootout win in the championship game of the  Little East tournament  The LEC tournament title was the fourth in nine years for Eastern., whose 6-1-0 LEC regular-season record this past year gave it a 62-9-6 mark - with more than one loss occurring in a season only once -- in regular-season conference play the last 11 seasons.

Eastern holds undefeated JHU scoreless for 40 minutes in 6-1 loss

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament in a 6-1 loss to undefeated Johns Hopkins University Saturday night at Homewood Field.

Ranked No. 4 nationally, the Blue Jays (20-0-0) snapped a scoreless tie with two goals in the final five minutes of the first half and scored four goals in a span of 20 minutes in the second half. Senior Laura Violette (Wallingford) scored Eastern's goal with eight minutes left - her second of the year -- as the Warriors finish with a record of 11-9-1.

The hosts outshot Eastern 41-4, with Eastern senior keeper Theresa Pagnozzi (Waterford) making a career-high 18 saves over the first 75 minutes when she gave up four goals. Pagnozzi concluded her career with a 16-2-5 record, both losses coming in the NCAA tournament.

Johns Hopkins entered the day as one of three unbeaten, untied teams in Division III and were the winningest undefeated team in the country and featured two of the top 20 scoring leaders in freshman Hannah Kronick and senior Erica Suter.  Suter had a goal and assist on a team-high 11 shots, but  Kronick was held scoreless on six shots. Five different Blue Jays contributed a goal, with sophomore Pamela Vranis scoring her 11th and 12th of the season less than four minutes apart for her team's first two goals of the second half. JHU has totalled 88 goals this year and has outscored its opponent by a 11-1 margin.

Eastern qualified for the tournament by winning the Little East Conference championship on penalty kicks Sunday while JHU had posted two shutouts in the Continental Conference tournament. In its last 11 matches, JHU has posted eight shutouts and surrendered one goal in each of the other three.

Despite time limitations, coaches have developed quality programs

Above: Greg DeVito (left) and Chris D'Ambrosio

Men's Match: LIVE VIDEO! - 11 am

Women's Match: LIVE VIDEO/STATS, 5 p.m.-

WILLIMANTIC,Conn. -- By day, Greg DeVito is a fulltime faculty member at E.O. Smith High School. By night, Chris D'Ambrosio works  fulltime for the State of Connecticut with the Department of Developmental Services.

At right: Head women's coach Chris D'Ambrosio (background) and long-time assistant Ken Goodale (foreground).

In their spare time, the pair have made the soccer programs at Eastern Connecticut State University the envy of the Little East Conference, to say nothing of vaulting them into the regional and national limelight.

Saturday morning, DeVito leads the men's team into their fifth straight post-season tournament when they face Springfield College at 11 a.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Hitchcock Field on the campus of Amherst College.

Some six hours later and 400 miles to the south, D'Ambrosio will be at the forefront when the women's soccer team kicks off  NCAA tournament play against homestanding Johns Hopkins University at 5 p.m. at Homestead Field on the JHU campus.

It's common knowledge that developing a winning program at the college level is a difficult, time-consuming process. Throw into that coaching mix a fulltime job and family and personal responsibilities, and the difficulty of creating and maintaining a successful program can be multiplied at least two-fold.

Both DeVito, a Norwalk native and University of Connecticut graduate, and D'Ambrosio, a Coventry native and St. Thomas University (FL) graduate, joined their respective soccer programs at Eastern as assistant coaches. Three years later, they were appointed head coaches.

At left: Greg DeVito directed the men's soccer program to its third straight NCAA tournament this fall.

DeVito replaced Frantz Innocent when the latter retired after a 17-year (parttime, as well) tenure. D'Ambrosio stepped in for his hometown buddy, Matt Paton, after Paton  was offered an assistant coaching position at the University of Colorado.

Neither DeVito nor D'Ambrosio needed much time to apply an indelible mark to their respective programs.

All five of DeVito's season at the helm have been punctuated by trips to a post-season tournament. Three times, the Warriors have won the Little East Conference tournament and with it, an automatic berth in the NCAAs. Last year, they were selected on an at-large basis after losing in the LEC tournament semifinals, and in 2008, they were the No. 1 seed in the ECAC tournament.

Every season, the Warriors have won at least ten matches under DeVito - the first time in the 51-year history of the program that this has been accomplished -- and have compiled a .745 winning percentage, which is easily the best winning percentage among the five coaches in program history.

Giving more credence to DeVito's accomplishments is the fact that until his arrival the program and qualified for post-season play only once in the previous 29 seasons and in the previous eight LEC tournaments, had failed to qualify four times and bowed out in the first round the other four years.

Twelve seasons into his head coaching career, D'Ambrosio is the all-time winningest head coach in the program's 26-year history with 146 victories. He also has compiled the highest winning percentage (.679) among the five coaches in program history.

With D'Ambrosio, the Warriors have lost more than one LEC regular-season match only twice. They have won or shared four conference regular-season championships and have won more LEC tournaments (4) in the last nine years than any other conference institution.

DeVito has been coaching soccer on a variety of levels for nearly 20 years. Prior to his appointment as Innocent's assistant, he had spent six years coaching girls' soccer at E.O. Smith, averaging 12 wins per year in three seasons as head coach. He began as assistant boys' coach with the state power boys' soccer team at Smith.

D'Ambrosio has coached both boys and girls' soccer, coming to Eastern after 11 successful seasons at Coventry High School with the girls' program. He has worked for the State of Connecticut for nearly 25 years, primarily on third shift. After catching a few hours sleep in the morning, he arrives at Eastern for practice or a game or to meet a recruit. Later that night, he will many times return to work in time for his 11 p.m. shift.

Making additional demands on D'Ambrosio's time are his two teenage boys who are involved in both travel and high school soccer.

Between games, travel, practices, scouting, recruiting and fundraising, each coach estimates working a 35-40 hour week during a ten-week soccer season.

Through the first week of November, D'Ambrosio says that he has additionally arranged two dozen campus visits for high school recruits.

There are two common denominators to both coach's success at Eastern: a passion for the game and time-management skills.

"With any situation like this, you have to love what you do," points out DeVito. "It doesn't really simulate work when you really enjoy it. And as the years go by, I've learned to make more time for myself and make sure that I don't' get to the point where I am overwhelmed, because if you are overwhelmed, it's not fun anymore. There's enough time in the day -- if you manage your time - to keep that anticipation  and fun and always look forward to the next day."

D'Ambrosio echos those comments: "Just trying to balance your schedule is one of the most difficult things," says D'Ambrosio, who labels the fall as 'chaotic.' "The time commitment is unbelievable. For me, 'organization' has become a strength. I know the amount of time that I have and the amount of time I need to do something in. "But the first few years," he admits, "were overwhelming."

Each coach points out that the contributions of his assistant coaches have been instrumental in the success of the program. D'Ambrosio's close friend, Ken Goodale, has shared the sideline with him for the last 11 seasons. DeVito has been assisted by Adam Phaniah in each of his five seasons and Jay Barney for four and Matt Weston for three. Goodale's roots go back to the early 1980s when the program began on the club level. Phaiah is an alumnus of the program and Barney a former standout goalkeeper who backstopped the team to its first LEC tournament title in DeVito's inaugural season in 2007..

After 25 years coaching girls and women, D'Ambrosio is well-versed on the need to communicate effectively and motivate his female players. "You have to be able to talk to them," he notes. "You need to say 'let's have a conversation'. Yelling and screaming at players - especially women - doesn't work. The chemistry is really important. The women have to want to work for each other. They have to get along."

Like D'Ambrosio, DeVito has developed a rapport with his players over the years and feels that communication and trust are imperative to building a successful program, especially when the coach isn't available to monitor activities on a fulltime basis. He looks upon the student-athletes as the building blocks of developing a national program.

Points out DeVito: "We have guys in the program who are willing to work hard all the time when they are not being watched all the time, and guys who are willing to do the right thing even when I'm not there to stand over them. Adds DeVito: "We have a group of guys who have bought into what it is that we are trying to teach them, and that what we are trying to stress to them is important."

Women visit unbeaten Johns Hopkins; men face Springfield at Amherst

Men's Match: LIVE VIDEO! - 11 am

Women's Match: LIVE VIDEO/STATS, -

5 pm

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - For the third consecutive time, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's and women's soccer teams will be competing in their  respective NCAA Division III tournaments in the same year and will play first-round matches on the road Saturday.

At left: Accepting the LEC championship trophy are seniors (from left) Theresa Pagnozzi, Sam Konopka, Jo-Ann Merheb, Amber Petrizzo and Laura Violette.

Both teams qualified automatically after winning their respective Little East Conference championships over the weekend for the second time in three years. The top-seeded men defeated second-seeded Keene State College, 1-0, Saturday at Thomas Nevers Field in the LEC final and the second-seeded women got past top-seeded Keene State College Sunday with a 3-2 penalty-kick decision after the teams had played 110 scoreless minutes at Keene, NH.

At left: Accepting the LEC championship trophy from Commissioner Jonathan Harper are senior co-captains Carl Appel (center) and Sean Collins.

The Eastern men (14-5-1), ranked No. 9 in New England, face Springfield College (10-4-4) at Hitchcock Field on the campus of Amherst College Saturday at 11 a.m. in a regional which includes host Amherst College and Husson University squaring off at 1:30 p.m.  Eastern is competing in a post-season tournament for the fifth straight year and in the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in that span. The Warriors have qualified on an automatic basis for the NCAA tournament twice and have been selected on an at-large basis twice. Unranked Springfield qualified for its first NCAA tournament in 12 years after defeating No.12 nationally-ranked Babson College on penalty kicks (4-3) following a 1-1 overtime draw in the championship match of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournamentSunday.

The Eastern women (11-8-1) qualified for their third straight NCAA tournament and fifth in the last nine years and will visit No. 4 nationally-ranked and unbeaten (19-0-0) Johns Hopkins University Saturday at 5 p.m. at Homewood Field in the first of two regional matches at Baltimore. At 7:30, Springfield College meets Cabrini College. Sunday's regional final is scheduled for 5 p.m. In 2009, Eastern qualified for the NCAA tournament by defeating top-seeded Keene State College on its home field in the Little East title game; last year, the Warriors gained an at-large bid on the strength of an unbeaten record,  and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament after winning the New England regional. Johns Hopkins advanced to the national quarterfinals a year ago before losing to eventual national runner-up Messiah College.

The Eastern men have faced Springfield only once - 36 years ago - when the Pride eliminated the Warriors in the first round of the ECAC tournament, 3-1, at Springfield, MA.The Eastern women and JHU will be meeting for the first time.

The Eastern men and women are the only Little East Conference institutions competing in the NCAA tournament.

Smiles of men's soccer team is four-time all-conference selection

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. --  Senior back Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) of the men's soccer team and junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) of the women's soccer team have been recognized with major awards by the Little East Conference in its season-ending awards program, it has been announced today.

Above: Aaron Smiles (Cristina Danielson photo)

Smiles was named Defensive Player-of-the-Year and Marchitto Offensive Player-of-the-Year and were among ten Eastern athletes in three sports recognized for their performances this past fall.

Smiles became only the second Eastern player in 23 years of LEC men's soccer to be named to the all-conference team as many as four times, joining two-time Offensive Player-of-the-Year Maxim Fantl (2006-2009). Smiles was named to the first team for the third straight year after earning second-team recognition as a freshman in 2008.

Marchitto was named to the first team twice in three years, repeating the first-team honor in 2009 when she was additionally recognized as Rookie-of-the-Year. She was a second-team choice last season.  Marchitto becomes the program's tenth Player-of-the-Year in the last 16 years - fifth in the last four years.

At left: Daniela Marchitto

A total of  four Eastern players were named to the 13-person first team - the most of any of the eight conference teams. Junior forward Matt Furman (Montville) repeated as a first-team selection, senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ)  was named to the all-conference team for the third time. He was a first-team pick this year and in 2009 and a second-teamer in 2010. Earning recognition for the first time were senior back Matt Esposito (East Haven) and second-team selection Cory Tobler (Portland), a junior forward.

Joining Marchitto on the women's first team  were senior back Amber Petrizzo (Plainville) and junior midfielder Kelly Wallace (South Windsor), while sophomore midfielder Tamar Merheb (Bethel) was a second-team pick. Wallace repeated on the first team and Petrizzo was a second-teamer in 2010.

Junior back Lauren DeLuca (South Windsor) was a third-team selection for the field hockey program, which was presented the Team Sportsmanship Award for the second time in three years.

During the year, Smiles was voted LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Week three times, Appel Goalkeeper-of-the-Week twice, Tobler and Furman Offensive Player-of-the-Week once each, and Esposito was tabbed as the LEC tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Smiles started all 17 matches in which he appeared (missing three with a concussion), averaging 82.2 minutes per match and contributing five assists to push his career total in that department o 29 - the most by an Eastern player in at least the last 22 seasons.

In seven regular-season conference matches this year, Appel allowed only one goal for a 0.14 goals-against average. In conference regular-season play, he also led the loop in save percentage (.968) and shutouts (5).  Overall, he has posted nine full shutouts in backstopping the team to a program-record 13. He is 12-5-1 with a 0.55 GAA and .885 save percentage, ranking seventh nationally in save percentage and 15th in GAA. As a team, Eastern ranks third in save percentage, fourth in shutout percentage, and sixth in GAA.

The overall Little East scoring leader as a sophomore, Furman shared the conference lead this season in conference matches with four and was third with nine points. He leads Eastern against this year with nine goals (a team-high four game-winners) and 22 points, giving him 25 goals (11 game-winners) and 17 assists in his 55-game Eastern career. His 67 total points rank him second among all players in the last 22 seasons.

A four-year player, Esposito played both back and midfield this year. He has started 17 matches and has contributed six goals (tied for second on the team) and 14 points (tie for third). His penalty-kick goal early in the LEC championship game stood up in the Warriors' 1-0 victory over Keene State College last Saturday at Thomas Nevers Field.

A starter in 16 matches, Tobler is second on the team with 16 points and is second to Furman with three game-winners. In 62 career games, he has 15 goals and 13 assists for 43 points, with six game-winners.

The Eastern men (14-5-1) open play in their fifth straight straight post-season tournament Saturday at 11 a.m. against Springfield College at Amherst, MA. The Warriors, ranked eighth in New England, qualified automatically for the NCAA tournament with a 1-0 victory over Keene State in the conference championship game Saturday.

Marchitto was selected as the conference's Offensive Player-of-the-Week in the first report of the season. Also a first-team all-conference selection in lacrosse last season, Marchitto leads the conference in assists (7) and is second in goals (15) and points (37). She has contributed a point in 14 of 20 matches, including seven straight heading into Sunday's LEC final, won on penalty kicks by Eastern over top-seeded Keene State College at Keene, NH. Marchitto's goal was the only one of the match in a semifinal-round home win over Western Connecituct.

Marchitto's point total is currently the fourth-highest in a season in program history and her goal mark equals the fourth-highest.  Heading into NCAA play, Marchitto ranks third all-time in goals (33), tied for fifth in points (79), and sixth in game-winning goals (10).

A fifth-year senior, Petrizzo joins Marchitto as the only players on the team to start all 20 matches. She leads all  players with 1,637 minutes , an average of 81.9 and has played every minute of 12 matches this year, eight of them coming in succession beginning in mid-September.

A three-year starter, Wallace has started 18 matches this year with four goals and three assists. She assisted on Marchitto's winning goal against Western Connecticut  and knocked in the game-winning penalty kick Sunday against Keene State. She shares seventh place all-time with 19 career assists, ten coming as a freshman.

Merheb has been a two-year starter, teaming at midfield with Wallace.  She has started 18 matches and is second on the team in points (15) and tied for second in goals (6). She has played every minutes 12 times (six straight) and averages 77.5 minutes. Her unassisted goal on a free kick in the 80th minute Oct. 17 provided Eastern with a key 2-1 home conference victory over UMass Boston.

The Eastern women (11-8-1) open play in their fifth NCAA tournament in the last nine years Saturday when they visit No. 4 nationally-ranked and unbeaten Johns Hopkins University at 5 p.m.

A second-year player, DeLuca  becomes the field hockey program's  12th all-conference selection in 11 years.  She becomes only the third Eastern player to be named on defense, following Erika Profenno in 2004 and 2005 and Kristin Therkelsen in 2002. DeLuca let the conference with nine defensive saves. The Warriors finished 3-15, 0-11 in the conference.

All-Conference Selections

MEN'S SOCCER
Carl Appel-1   Sr. K West Windsor, NJ First Team
Matt Esposito   Sr. B East Haven  First Team
Matt Furman-2  Jr. F Montville  First Team
Aaron Smiles-3  Sr. B Bedford, MA  First Team
Cory Tobler   Jr. F Portland  Second Team

Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Aaron Smiles

1-First team in 2009, Second team in 2010 2-First team in 2010
3-Second team in 2008, First team in 2009 and 2010

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Daniela Marchitto-a  Jr. F Orange   First Team
Amber Petrizzo-b  Sr. B Plainville  First Team
Kelly Wallace-c  Jr. MF South Windsor First Team
Tamar Merheb   So. MF Bethel   Second Team

Offensive Player-of-the-Year
Daniela Marchitto

a-First team and Rookie-of-the-Year in 2009, Second team in 2010.
b-Second team in 2010
c-First team in 2010

FIELD HOCKEY
Lauren DeLuca   Jr. B South Windsor Third Team

Team Sportsmanship Award

Eastern Connecticut State University

WATCH NCAA Selection Show -- Monday, 2p.m. 

Second seed downs No. 1 seed Keene to qualify for third straight NCAA

WATCH: Post-game interviews with Theresa Pagnozzi (2:13) (far left), Head Coach Chris D'Ambrosio  (3:04) (near left) 

KEENE, N.H. -- The second-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team qualified for its third straight NCAA Division III tournament with a 3-2 penalty-kick shootout win over top-seeded Keene State College in the championship game of the 2011 Little East Conference tournament Sunday afternoon at the Owl Stadium Complex. The game is officially recorded as a 0-0 double-overtime tie.

The LEC tournament title is the fourth in nine years for Eastern (11-8-1) - the Warriors are 3-1 in title games against Keene State (13-7-2) -- and provides it with an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament, the program's fifth NCAA appearance in 12 seasons under head coach Chris D'Ambrosio.

The teams played 110 scoreless minutes before penalty kicks decided the 2011 champion. Sophomore Nicole Leonard (Rutherford, NJ), senior Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel) and junior Kelly Wallace (South Windsor) converted PKs for Eastern and senior goalkeeper Theresa Pagnozzi (Waterford) made saves on three of Keene's five attempts.

Shooting second, Eastern trailed 2-1 after the first three rounds of PKs, but Pagnozzi made a critical save on Alex Haley and Merheb converted her ensuing attempt to tie it at 2-2. Pagnozzi, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player,  then got a hand on Keene's fifth attempt with a dive to her right to knock it off the post and keep the competition tied, and Wallace sent Eastern to the NCAA tournament when she cleanly beat Keene senior keeper Megan Dempsey with a drive to the upper-left corner of the net.

At right: This save by Theresa Pagnozzi in the fourth round of penalty kicks was the biggest factor in the team's 3-2 verdict.

"Both teams came out attacking, and had a couple of good (scoring) chances," said D'Ambrosio. "Theresa (Pagnozzi) made a couple of great saves and their keeper pulled one off the goal line, but it was more of a defensive and midfield game. Both defenses were tough to crack. It's a shame," noted D'Ambrosio, "that you've got to go that far and get into penalty kicks, but it was a great conference final."

Eastern's starting defense of seniors Amber Petrizzo (Plainville) and Sam Konopka (Hebron), sophomore Megan Godwin (Manchester) and freshman Whitney Mantel (Stamford) -- spent a large portion of the match neutralizing Keene's offensive pressure. Offensively, Eastern junior Daniela Marchitto (Orange), the team scoring leader with 15 goals, was rendered virtually ineffective due to a left knee injury sustained in Friday's semifinal win and aggravated early in Sunday's final.

Behind the offensive efforts of junior Joan Hamel, Keene had more and better chances to crack the scoreless tie, especially in the second half and overtime, but the 5-foot-9 inch Pagnozzi made a handful of strong plays to keep the match scoreless. One came early in the second half and two came in the first overtime, but she saved her best play for the waning seconds of the second overtime when she denied Hamel's one-on-one opportunity by coming off her line and cutting down the angle on a breakaway. In the first overtime, Hamel found room in the box and headed a free kick that sailed just over the cross bar. Minutes later, Pagnozzi stopped a low shot by Hamel with a dive to the right post.

Above: Christine DeFilippo leaves a Keene defender in her wake in the first half of Sunday's victory.

In the second half, Eastern had at least two prime chances. The first followed a corner kick by Eastern junior Chelsea Downer (Colchester). Eastern took a shot in the box that Dempsey knocked down with a dive to her right toward the left post, then reached back to grab the loose ball just before it crossed the goal line. On the second one, Keene junior back Jane Walsh headed an Eastern shot off the line.

Eastern won for the fourth time in five matches against Keene in the LEC final, with three of the wins coming on Keene's field. In 2003, the Warriors won their first championship with a penalty-kick decision over Keene.

The Owls had won all seven of their regular-season conference matches - including a 2-0 verdict at home over Eastern Oct. 8 - and had eliminated fourth-seeded Massachusetts Boston on penalty kicks in Friday's semifinal. Eastern finished second  in the conference and edged third-seeded Western Connecticut, 1-0, in Friday's semifinal at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex. The shutout was the fifth straight for Eastern, which has played Pagnozzi and junior Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield) in goal for one half each in the last four matches.

Sunday, MacLeod shut out Keene in the first half before Pagnozzi played the second half and overtime and was in net for the penalty-kick session. The pair combined for a season-high 16 saves on 31 Keene shots -- nearly twice as many saves as required in any match this season.

Last year's starting goalie on a 16-1-5 team, Pagnozzi saw her first action of 2011 in the second half of a 7-0 victory at Manhattanville College 11 days ago.She started and gained credit for a 6-0 win over UMass Dartmouth on the final day of the regular season a week ago Saturday and was credited with the 1-0 win over Western in the tournament semifinals Friday when she played the second half.

At right: Kelly Wallace's successful penalty kick in the final round sparked the Warriors' winning celebration.

It marked the second  time in three years that the Eastern men and women have captured LEC tournament titles in the same season. Yesterday, the men won their third crown in five years with a 1-0 home victory over Keene State In 2009, the men edged UMass Dartmouth, 1-0, at home and the women defeated Keene, 1-0, at Keene, on the same day.

The location of Eastern's first-round NCAA tournament game will be announced Monday.