Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. (Sept. 30) – A pair of goals in the final eight minutes of the game lifted the Western New England University field hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Nichols College in a Commonwealth Coast Conference game at Vendetti Field Friday evening. The Golden Bears improve to 3-8 overall and 2-1 in CCC games. Nichols dips to 5-3 overall and evens out at 1-1 in conference play.

After heading into the break deadlocked at one apiece, Nichols took a 2-1 lead early in the second half on a breakaway goal by Avery Orszulak.

Jaynie Mueller was awarded a penalty stroke at 61:21 when a Nichols defender kicked the ball in front of the net. Mueller's high shot sailed out of reach of Bison netminder Molly Melanson to knot the game.

Less than six minutes later, Alyssa Chamberlain poked a shot from the left side that dribbled under Melanson's glove to give the Golden Bears the advantage.

Chamberlain originally put Western New England on the board 19 minutes into the game, sweeping a shot past Melanson as she came out of the net. Nichols quickly evened the score off a corner set, as Krista-Jean Forand deflected a shot from Barbara Roy from the top of the circle just 36 seconds later.

The Bison outshot their visitors by a 16-12 margin and maintained a 10-4 advantage in penalty corners including a 7-3 lead in the second stanza.

Western New England starting keeper Kaitlyn Hall made six salves and allowed two goals in 49 minutes of action, but Emily Mastrapaolo earned her first career win with one save in the final 21 minutes. Melanson made one save for the Bison.

Nichols takes a break from CCC action to host Mount Holyoke in a 7 p.m. game Tuesday October 4. Western New England hosts Wheelock Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference game.


Box Score