Eastern Connecticut Clinches Winningest Regular-Season in History
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore Patrick Agyemang (East Hartford) scored his 20th goal of the season with ten minutes left to snap a tie and vault the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team to a 2-1 Little East Conference victory over Plymouth State University Saturday afternoon at Arold Field.
With the win, Eastern (16-2-0, 7-1-0 LEC) has become the winningest regular-season team in the 60-year history of the program, exceeding the 15-win seasons in 2018 and 2012. The Warriors also equaled their most LEC regular-season wins, matching the 2018 team.
Already assured prior to the game of its eighth LEC regular-season title (sixth outright) in 13 years under head coach Greg DeVito, Eastern brings a six-game winning streak into the LEC playoffs. Having earned a first-round bye, Eastern will host fourth-ranked Western Connecticut or fifth-ranked UMass Boston Thursday at 6 p.m. During the regular season, Eastern defeated Western Connecticut (1-0) and UMass Boston (3-2) on the road. The Warriors are 9-0-0 at home in 2019.
The LEC leader and ranked in the top five nationally in goals and points (47), Agyemang scored off an assist from junior Jake Pendl (Cromwell) in the 81st minute to provide Eastern with its second 2-1 win on Plymouth's home field in as many years. Agyemang becomes the fifth player in program history to score as many as 20 goals behind Eastern Hall of Famers John Fitzgerald and Glenn Judge. Fitzgerald had a record 29 in 1969 and Judge finished with 22 in each of his three years at Eastern (1985-87).
Freshman Andres Mayuri (West Hartford) had lifted Eastern into a quick 1-0 lead with his eighth goal of the year in the fifth minute by returning a rebound of a shot by sophomore Will Toomey (Willington) that was saved by keeper Linus Lindeberg, and that margin held up until Plymouth (1-11-3, 0-6-2 LEC) junior Erik Armskog scored the equalizer midway through the second half.
The Warriors, ranked in the latest D3soccer.com poll, held a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Plymouth State was able to even the score in the second half on Armskog's goal, but Eastern Connecticut netted the game-winner in the 81st minute to secure the win.
Junior keeper Kyle Boutot (Tolland) recorded his 16th win in his 18th start, making two saves.
Eastern amassed a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks and has now out-cornered its opponent this year by better than 2-to-1.
