New London — Connecticut College found out that fending off Coast Guard Academy is about as easy as wrestling an angry alligator.

The Camels fought their way to a hard-earned 2-0 victory in a feisty 16th annual Whale Cup women's soccer game at Freeman Field.

"It's always a physical battle," Conn senior Libby Thomas said. "We always know Coast Guard is going to come out strong. They're our rival from across (Route) 32. So it's always going to be a tough game. ... We knew we had to come out hard."

The Camels (1-2-2) used crisp ball movement, speed and creativity to produce numerous chances but could only break down the stubborn Coast Guard defense twice.

Thomas capitalized on a mistake to poke home the first goal at the 23:58 mark and freshman Alex Baltazar's breakaway goal with a second remaining capped the scoring.

Conn coach Norm Riker dipped deep into his bench to help secure his team's first victory of the season.

"It was a full team effort...," Riker said. "We needed the win. We have played well. We're just missing a few little decisions and a bounce here or there. It just kind of hasn't gone our way. It's nice to get back to winning ways and get our mojo back."

Coming off their first New England Small College Athletic Conference championship and an NCAA berth, the Camels are dealing with some injuries to key players. They welcomed back spunky sophomore Livi Block, who helped energize the team, on Tuesday.

The Camels have dominated the Whale Cup series, winning 15 of 16 meetings. But the Bears (4-3) are closing the competitive gap. Coast Guard was out-shot (23-8), but not outhustled.

"Both teams love the rivalry and they usually come out ready to go," Coast Guard coach Susan Grant said. "It's something they are excited for each season. It would be nice to get the Cup back in our possession, but maybe next year."

For the most part, Conn College controlled possession, working through the midfield to build an effective attack.

It took time for the Camels to finally break into the scoring column.

Sophomore Alexa Tribelli chased down an errant back-pass intended for goalie Rachel Boohar and tapped the ball toward an open goal. An opportunistic Thomas knocked it in for a 1-0 lead.

"It was really (Alexa's) hard work and me just following it up," Thomas sai.

Play opened up in the second half as both teams pressed for a goal.

Conn spread the field and attacked down the outside. Coast Guard responded by picking up the intensity.

"Second half, we definitely outperformed our performance in the first half...," Grant said. "When we're on, it's fun to watch."

The Bears nearly tied the game.

Working a nice combination play with junior Katie Clark, senior Sarah Hills split the defense and ran onto a pass, but fired a high shot well over the crossbar with about 13 minutes left.

The Camels also increased the offensive heat, forcing backup goalie Anna Neidermeyer to make two tough saves.

Neidermeyer was in the game because Boohar went to the sidelines with a right leg injury with 17 minutes remaining. Grant hopes Boohar returns to action this weekend.

With the Bears pressing for the tying goal, Baltazar won a one-on-one battle at midfield and sprinted on a solo run, finishing just before time ran out.

It was the first time this season the Camels have scored more than one goal in a game. Goalies Bryanna Montalvo and Alex Santiago, a St. Bernard graduate, combined to post the shutout, making four saves.

"We always talk as a team that you have to earn your luck," Riker said. "We've been working towards that. It's nice today to put in a full 90 (minutes) and play well and get a win. ... We're very happy with the result."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe