DUDLEY, Mass. – In a special Morgan Message Game honoring student-athlete advocacy, the Nichols College women's lacrosse team stormed back from a five-goal halftime deficit to secure a thrilling 13-10 comeback victory over the University of New England at Vendetti Field.
With the win, the Bison improved to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, while the Nor'easters fell to 5-5 and 3-2 in CNE play.
The Bison offense was led by
Kaylyn Bourque and
Macy Abrams, who each scored four goals.
Catherine Vetter added two goals and two assists, while
Makala Dube orchestrated the attack with a match high four assists.
Gabriella Mandirola,
Emma Patton, and
Cali Melo each contributed a goal, with Melo also recording an assist.
Briar Slattery anchored the defense in goal, making six saves on 20 shots faced and collecting 2 ground balls.
The Nor'easters jumped out to an early lead, controlling possession with crisp passing and aggressive attacking. Molly Henderson opened the scoring for UNE at 13:45, finishing a quick feed inside the crease. The Nor'easters continued to pressure Nichols' defense, scoring two more goals over the next five minutes to make it 3-0. Nichols found its footing late in the quarter, with Bourque dodging past two defenders to score unassisted at 2:17, finally putting the Bison on the board. Despite the goal, UNE maintained a 4-2 advantage going into the second quarter.
UNE expanded its lead early, with Henderson again finding the back of the net, followed by a goal from Sydney Balotin to make it 6-2. Nichols battled to stay in the game, with Vetter feeding Dube for a quick finish at 10:22, trimming the deficit to 6-3. However, UNE responded with two more scores before halftime, stretching the lead to 9-4. Slattery made several key saves in the closing minutes of the half, keeping Nichols within striking distance.
The Bison came out of the break with renewed energy, determined to chip away at the deficit. Bourque sparked the comeback with a pair of quick goals in the opening minutes, including one off a fast break at 12:43. Vetter added a highlight-reel goal, scooping a ground ball and dodging through traffic to make it 9-7. Abrams' first goal of the game came at 5:10, bringing Nichols to within one, 9-8. Slattery's continued dominance in goal, including a crucial save on a one-on-one, fueled the Bison momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bison carried their momentum into the final frame. Abrams scored back-to-back goals in the opening two minutes, giving Nichols its first lead at 10-9. Mandirola followed with a crafty finish from behind the cage to make it 11-9. UNE responded with a goal from Balotin, but Nichols answered immediately, with Melo and Patton converting quick transition opportunities to extend the lead to 13-10. The defense tightened, and Slattery made three critical saves in the closing minutes to secure the comeback victory.
Nichols will look to continue its winning streak on the road when they take on conference opponent, the Hawks of the University of Hartford, on Wednesday, April 8th at 4:00 PM at Alumni Stadium.
