Box Score

(story courtesy Nichols College)

DUDLEY, Mass. – Junior forward Jackie Dwyer (Enfield, Conn.) scored two goals to lift the Nichols College field hockey team to its first victory of the season, a 4-3 win over visiting Univeristy of New England Saturday afternoon at Vendetti Field. 

The Bison, who opened The Commonwealth Conference Coast play with a win for the third straight season, improve to 1-2 on the year. The Nor'easters drop to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Nichols first-year forward Chelsea Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) opened the scoring at 9:50 from MaryKate Frodema (Springfield, Mass.), but the Nor'easters tied it up at 21:24 when Michaela Franey drilled in a penalty corner from Kim Anderson.

Dwyer struck twice for the Bison, first connecting off a long corner from junior back Marie Kauker (Bellingham, Mass.) that the junior knocked in from the far post into a wide-open net to give Nichols a 2-1 lead headed into halftime. She then knocked in a rebound led than five minutes into the second half to put the Bison up by two.

Five minutes later, UNE's Taryn Flagg collected her first of two goals on the day to bring the Nor'easters back within one, but Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, N.H.) carried the ball all the way up the right side of the field from the midpoint, dodged a defender about 20 yards out and slipped her shot past Nor'easters netminder Ayla Nelson at 52:48 for a 4-2 lead.

Flagg got one more back for UNE, blasting a shot from just inside the arc with just over 10 minutes to play, but the Nichols defense held the Nor'easters to two shots in the remainder of the game.

MaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, Mass.) made five saves in the win, while Nelson finished with eight.

Nichols is back in action at home on Tuesday in a 7 p.m. game versus Mt. Holyoke.  UNE will be seeking its first win that same day when St. Joseph's College comes to Biddeford for a 4:00 p.m. game.