MANSFIELD, Conn. - On Seniors' Day, senior Maxim Fantl (West Hartford, Conn.) recorded his 100th career point and senior Nicholas Boretti (Marshfield, Mass.) totaled a career-high five points to lift men's soccer to a key 3-1 Little East Conference win over Rhode Island College Sunday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

With the win, Eastern (9-4-1, 3-1-0 little east) pulls into a tie for second place with Rhode Island (5-7-2, 3-2-0 little east), both clubs trailing Keene State College. Keene has 12 points and Eastern and Rhode Island nine each. Keene and Rhode Island have both played one more conference game than Eastern.

With the score tied 1-1 late in the first half, Fantl recorded his 100th and 101st career point in his 75th career match, pushing a shot from in close inside the right post for his team-leading tenth goal of the season. Fantl, who has led the Warriors in goals and assists in each of the previous three years, becomes the program's first 100-point scorer since Jason Brasher. Brasher had 105 points in a four-year career ending in 1991.

Boretti totaled a career-high five points with the second multiple-goal game of his career. Boretti gave Eastern a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when converted a sliding one-timer at the far right post on a perfectly-place corner kick from sophomore Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA). After Rhode Island tied the match late in the half with an own goal, Boretti helped set up Fantl's tie-breaking goal. Boretti fed sophomore Matt Esposito (East Haven), who carried and slipped the ball inside to Fantl, who found room right in front of Rhode Island junior keeper Helder Faustino. The goal came on the second of only two shots in the match by Fantl.

Boretti, who serves with Fantl as a team co-captain, finished off the scoring with insurance goal midway through the second half. Senior Chris Bourdeau (Thompson) won a ball in the middle of the field and sent a pass on the right flank to Esposito. Despite being tightly guarded by a Rhode Island defender, Esposito carried toward the end line before sending the ball to the top of the box to an unguarded Boretti, who hammered his fourth goal of the year under the crossbar.

With the Warriors already leading 1-0, Smiles narrowly missed scoring his third goal of the season with 18 minutes left in the first half when his long free kick glanced inside the far right post but bounced back onto the field. Three minutes after Smiles' unlucky attempt, Rhode Island had its best chance. It came when senior Ryan Kelley sent a pass all the way across the box to junior David De Melo on the week side, but De Melo's sliding effort at the left post came just a second too late, as the ball traveled over the end line.

Esposito's second multiple-assist game this year gives him a team-leading seven.

Rhode Island played the final 25 minutes of the match a man down after junior back Brian Batalau was sent off for a red card violation - the third card of the afternoon issued to the visitors.

Despite being charged with the own goal, Eastern sophomore Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) gained his 23rd career win. Appel made two saves, both in the second half. Faustino made four saves. One came on a point-blank shot by Eastern freshman Cory Tobler (Portland) with ten minutes left in the first half of a tie game.

The win avenges two 2-1 losses to Rhode Island last year, the second contest coming in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Anchormen went on to down Plymouth State University to capture their first conference playoff title.

Ranked No. 8 in New England, Eastern hosts the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a re-match of last year's ECAC New England Division III Tournament won by the Bears, 1-0, in New London.

Eastern Conn. 3, Rhode Island College 1

Rhode Island (5-7-2, 3-2-0 little east) 1 0 -- 1
Eastern Conn. (9-4-1, 3-1-0 little east) 2 1 -- 3

Scoring: E-Nicholas Boretti (Aaron Smiles) 5:30; R-Own goal 37:19; E-Maxim Fantl (Boretti, Matt Esposito) 40;51; E-Boretti (Chris Bourdeau, Esposito) 63:36.
Shots: R-7, E-9; Saves: R-Heldr Faustino 4, E-Carl Appel 2.
Corner kicks: R-4, E-6.