Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Five different players found their way into the scoring column as the University of New England stormed past Nichols College, 7-2, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference field hockey battle between two of the league's top teams Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Brianna Tupper (Winthrop, Maine) and senior Taryn Flagg (Livermore Falls, Maine) each tallied a pair of goals for the nation's eighth-ranked scoring offense, as the Nor'easters won for the fifth straight time to improve to 9-2 overall (5-1 TCCC).

The Bison (13-2), who dropped their first game of the season Thursday against Fitchburg State College, suffered their first conference setback to fall to 6-1.

UNE took control early when first-year Laura Egounis (Boscowen, N.H.) recorded her first collegiate goal less than five minutes into the game off a pass from sophomore Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine).

Oswald and Egounis switched roles 15 minutes later to up the lead to 2-0. Tupper and first-year Molly Hayden (Stowe, Vt.) added scores late in the first half to give the hosts a four-goal advantage at the break.

Nichols bounced back in the early moments of the second frame, when first-year Barbara Roy (Springfield, Mass.) and sophomore Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) found the back of the cage with goals three minutes apart that cut the deficit in half (4-2) with 28 minutes left to play.

With the Bison gaining momentum, Flagg and Tupper connected with each other for goals at 45:19 and 46:38 that all but put the contest out of reach. Flagg added one more goal in the final minute to complete the scoring.

Flagg's assist of Tupper's goal was her eighth of the season, breaking her own single-season mark set a year ago.

Junior goalie Ayla Nelson (Auburn, Mass.) made three saves for UNE, which out-shot Nichols 20-9 despite being on the wrong end of a 12-4 margin in penalty corners.

Senior MaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, Mass.) replaced Forand between the pipes midway through the first period to make seven saves for Nichols.

The Nor'easters visit Colby College for a non-conference match Tuesday (6 p.m.), while the Bison return to action Wednesday at Castleton State College.


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