UNE Downs Golden Bears 4-2 in First Conference Game of the Season

Springfield, Mass. (November 4, 2022) - After winning their first two games of the season against Anna Maria College, the Golden Bears welcome the University of New England to town. This was the first conference game of the season for both teams. The Nor'easters were coming off a home win against the University of Southern Maine and hoped their goal-scoring would continue against the Golden Bears.

Records:

• Western New England: 2-1-0 (0-1-0)
• University of New England: 2-0-0 (1-0-0)

How it Happened:

The game got started with a Maddie Pope faceoff win. The first two shots then came from Avery Lutrzykowski as UNE looked to open up their attack early. WNE goalie Luci Robertelli made both saves. After that, another UNE shot was blocked before WNE got a shot on net. Allison Walker got the shot off on UNE goalie Delanie Corcoran. Corcoran would make the save.UNE came back with another shot, and Robertelli made the save. Maddie Pope got a shot off in response, but Corcoran was there to make the save. WNE would get two more shots off after that, with one saved and one blocked before UNE sent a shot wide of net.

UNE followed that with three shots on net. Robertelli made three big saves to keep UNE off the scoreboard. Four more shots followed that. Robertelli made three saves, and Gianna Fortunato blocked one shot. WNE would answer that onslaught of shots. Three shots were taken with two shots on net. Alyssa Murphy and Maggie Holt sent shots at Corcoran that were saved. The blocked shot led to UNE going the other way and getting a shot off. Robertelli shut them down, though. With less than eight minutes left in the first period, Robertelli made a save, and then Emma McGuane blocked a shot. WNE went on the power play after that. During the power play, the Golden Bears got five shots off, with Corcoran making three saves and the other two being blocked and shot wide. After the power play, UNE would immediately get a shot off, and Robertelli made the save. WNE and UNE would trade shots after that, with Robertelli getting three more saves. And WNE's shots went wide and got blocked. The first period ended tied at zero.

The second half started with UNE taking the faceoff. 1:36 into the second period, WNE went to the power play. After a shot by WNE was blocked, Alyssa Murphy skated up the ice, got a pass, and fired a quick shot at net. Corcoran could not get to it, and the Golden Bears led 1-0 on the power play goal. Allison Walker and Maggie Holt assisted Murphy's shot. After two Corcoran saves and multiple blocked shots by WNE players, UNE found a hole in the defense and scored. UNE's Maeve Crehan sent a shot on net, assisted by Jamie DuPont and Ava Salerno. The score was now 1-1. UNE kept the pressure on with a shot that Robertelli saved.

Corcoran had to make a save on the other end as well. Then, after a save by Robertelli. The puck was thrown at the net and bounced up and over Robertelli. UNE's Anna O'Neillhad put the Nor'easters up 2-1 with just under 12 minutes left to play in the second period. O'Neill was assisted on the play by Hannah Humes. After that, the game would go back to a back-and-forth nature. Both teams fought for another goal. WNE got two shots off that Corcoran made saves on. Robertelli had to make four saves in a row before WNE could get some life in their attack. That happened when UNE was called for another penalty. WNE got four shots off, with two being from Katie Cronin. Corcoran made two saves, with the other two shots being blocked.

On WNE's fifth shot, Maddy Tucker found the back of the net. Tucker skated at the top of the UNE zone by the blue line. Tucker received a pass and fired the shot past Corcoran to tie the game at two a piece with less than five minutes left to play in the second period. Alyssa Murphy and Maggie Holt assisted Tucker with the play. That was WNE's second power-play goal of the game. WNE won the ensuing faceoff and got a shot on net saved by Corcoran. After multiple Robertelli saves, Maddie Pope shot on net and hit the pipe. With less than a minute left in the second period. UNE scored. Keely Kasputis put a shot on net, and it just got past Robertelli. Hannah Humes and Emily Long had the assists. The score now read 3-2. Robertelli made three more saves to end the half.

As the third period got underway with a UNE faceoff win, they tried to put more pressure on the Golden Bears. Both teams got multiple shots off, with both goalies making big saves. After a little over six minutes played in the third period, UNE struck again. Keely Kasputis got a second goal when Anna O'Neill and Avery Lutrzykowski assisted. The score stood at 4-2 with less than 14 minutes to play. WNE kept the pressure up. Then, almost halfway through the period, a penalty was called on both teams, and the teams skated 4-4 for two minutes. During the penalty, only one shot was on net, and it was on Robertelli who made the save. Ten seconds later, WNE was on the power play. WNE got eight shots off during the power play. Five of those shots were on net, and Corcoran saved all five. Both teams would get shots off, with Robertelli and Corcoran making all the saves they were tested on. The final score would show UNE, four, and WNE, two.

Inside the Crease:

• The Golden Bears welcomed the Nor'easters of UNE for the first conference matchup of the season.
• Alyssa Murphy started the scoring with a power play goal in the second period with a goal assisted by Maggie Holt and Allison Walker.
• Maeve Crehan answered at the 5:58 mark of the second period. Ava Salerno and Jamie DuPont assisted that goal.
• Anna O'Neill increased UNE's lead in the second period at the 8:10 mark. Hannah Humes found O'Neill for the goal.
• Maddy Tucker scored a power-play goal at the 15:31 mark to even the score up at two a piece. Alyssa Murphy and Maggie Holt assisted on the play.
• Keely Kasputis found the back of the net with a little under a minute left to play in the second period. Hannah Humes and Emily Long assisted on the goal that put UNE up 3-2.
• Keely Kasputis scored once more in the third period. Anna O'Neill and Avery Lutrzykowski assisted on the play. UNE led 4-2.
• Corcoran made 24 saves and Robertelli made 38.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The teams will head up to Biddeford, Maine, where they will play the second of the home-and-home series at UNE. That game is Saturday, November 5, at 5:00 pm.