Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) scored her second goal of the game with 3:17 remaining in the second overtime to lift the Nichols College field hockey team to a 2-1 win over University of New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday night at Vendetti Field.

Widdison's two goals bring her conference-leading total to 21 as the Bison (11-6, 7-2 CCC) extended their winning streak to four and avenged an overtime loss in Biddeford earlier this season. The win sets up a showdown for first-place in the regular season finale on Saturday when Endicott (11-4, 7-1 CCC) visits Dudley for an 11 a.m. contest.

With time winding down in the second extra session, Widdison circled a defender at the top of the circle, cut back and fired a low shot that found its way inside the left post. She was credited with seven of the Bison's 24 shots on goal and increased her conference-leading point total to 48.

“A win like that against UNE on our field, it doesn't get much better than that,” said Bison head coach Kristan Mallet. “They've become one of our biggest rivals and beat us the last time we played them in overtime. We had a little chip on our shoulder tonight, and I'm very proud of every single player on our team.”

The Bison controlled play for most of the evening, holding the Nor'easters to one shot through the first 47 minutes of action and finished with a 24-11 advantage in that category.

Nichols appeared ready to grab a 1-0 lead nine minutes into the contest, but sophomore Avery Orszulak's (Springfield, Mass.) shot towards a seemingly vacated net was kept out by a sprawling stop by senior Laura Egounis (Boscawen, N.H.). A short time later, Widdison dribbled through a slew of defenders and let a shot go that beat sophomore goalkeeper Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) for a 1-0 Nichols lead.

Just 1:08 later, the Nor'easters got the equalizer off a broken penalty corner. Senior Suzy Libby (Danvers, Mass.) found herself with the ball just outside the circle, and she left a shot go that was deflected by junior Casey Clark (Bethlehem, Pa.) and past sophomore Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.).

Nichols outshot UNE 8-5 in the second half but neither team could gain the lead. In the first overtime, Warren made saves on Widdison and sophomore Jenn Townsend (Wethersfield, Conn.) to keep the game tied. Melanson matched her with a pair of saves in the second OT while sophomore Rachel Dalrymple (Belvidere, N.J.) helped keep the game tied with a defensive save on a shot by UNE's leading goal scorer, junior Halyey LaPointe (Topsham, Maine).

Melanson improved to 10-6 with the win and lowered her goals against average (GAA) on the season to 1.89. Warren, meanwhile, finished with eight saves and falls to 9-7 with the loss.

Looking ahead to Saturday's contest with the Gulls, Nichols will look to avenge a 3-1 loss in Beverly on October 6. The Bison will honor a trio of seniors – Widdison, Julianne Tansino (Stoneham, Mass.) and Leah Hartwell (East Bridgewater, Mass.) – prior to the contest.

“Endicott is a very strong team and deservingly in first place,” said Mallet. “They are very tough to beat, but I think we match up with them very well on our home field. We're going to have to play like we did tonight and get more people involved offensively. There are things we need to adjust, but it's going to be the same type of game as tonight.”

The Nor'easters (9-7, 6-3 CCC) head to Cambridge, Mass. on Thursday for a 6 p.m. game with MIT.