WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – In a rematch of last year's NCAA opening round matchup, sophomore forward Tyler Jones (Vernon, Conn.) scored his second game-winning goal in four days with 18 minutes left as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team knocked Gordon College from the unbeaten ranks with a 1-0 victory Tuesday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
 
Shut out in its first two home matches of the year, Eastern (3-2-2) broke a scoreless tie when Jones intercepted a pass in the Warriors' offensive moments after an Eastern throw-in in front of its own bench, beat the only defender between him and the goal and, in stride, slid a shot from just inside the box that Gordon (7-1-0) junior keeper Bruce Gerberich (Fredericksburg, Va.) got a hand on but could not prevent from going inside the far left post.
 
The loss was the first against a non-conference opponent in the regular season for Gordon since a 5-1 setback at Keene State College (like Eastern, a member of the Little East Conference) October 9, 2012. Of the Scots' three losses last year, one came in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular-season game, one in the CCC playoffs and a season-ending one to Amherst College in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Gordon defeated Eastern Connecticut 1-0 in the first round of the national tournament last year.
 
 Tuesday, Gordon had the better of play through most of the first half, collecting six of the first seven shots of the match, forcing Eastern sophomore keeper Greg Walton to come up with three saves.
 
Eastern owned the second half, however, limiting Gordon to four shots, only one of which landed on goal. The Scots' only dangerous opportunity of the half came in a scoreless game with 19 minutes left, but sophomore back Aaron Terjanian's (West Chester, Pa.) quick turnaround shot rolled inches wide of the left post. Jones' opportunity came just a minute later and he made the Fighting Scots pay for their near misses with the game-winner.
 
Gordon looked like they may have an equalizer opportunity in the final minute of play, but a handball infraction was called just inches outside of the 18-yard box. Instead of a penalty kick, the Scots were resigned to a lengthier free kick and couldn't convert in their final attempt.  
 
Walton made five saves for his first shutout since the season-opener, while Gerberich stopped three shots in his third appearance of the year. Eastern held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.

Gordon will look to rebound on Saturday at Western New England at 1 p.m. 

Release courtesy of ECSU Sports Info