DUDLEY, Mass. (10/29/2026) - The Nichols College field hockey team celebrated its five graduating seniors with a 3-2 victory over non-conference UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday afternoon at Michael J. Vendetti Field. Sophomore Emma Eastman delivered the game-winning goal in the third quarter, marking the first goal of her collegiate career.
With the win, the Bison finish the regular season at 6-12 (2-5 CNE), while the Corsairs drop to 3-15 (2-4) overall.
The Corsairs kicked off the scoring late in the opening quarter, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal from Sophia Bouffard with 51 seconds remaining in the period. However, Nichols answered back in the second quarter as Sofia Calabro found the back of the cage for her ninth goal of the season at the 22:14 mark to even the odds at 1-1, which would remain up until halftime.
Energized from their second quarter push back, the Bison continued to gain momentum into the third quarter with Spencer Cameron giving Nichols its first lead of the night at 34:27 with her third goal of the season. UMass Dartmouth responded less than two minutes later, as Emily Carr tied the contest at 2-2, only for the Bison to regain the advantage at 44:42 when Eastman finished a cross-zone feed from Calabro for the decisive tally.
The Bison continued to gold hold off the Corsairs throughout the fourth quarter, securing themselves the Senior Day victory.
Nichols finished with a 14-13 advantage in shots, while both teams put 10 shots on target. Senior goalkeeper Fallyn Belisle (5-12) recorded eight saves to backstop the Bison in the home victory. Calabro led the Bison offensively with a goal and an assist, while Cameron and Eastman each added a goal.
Up next, field hockey prepares for its CNE First Round tilt at No. 3 Roger Williams University (13-6, 5-1 CNE) this Saturday, October 31st at Bayside Field. Game start has been set for 12:00 PM, with Nichols entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed in the bracket.
