Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Third seed Nichols College grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the second half and held off a furious attack late by second-seeded University of New England for a 3-1 The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship semifinal victory in field hockey action under the lights Wednesday.

The Bison built a 2-0 lead on a first-half goal by sophomore Lauren Correia (Seekonk, N.H.) and an early second-half tally by sister Chelsea Correia.

From there, the Nor'easters turned up the offensive pressure, amassing huge advantages in shots (17-3) and penalty corners (14-0) over the final period.

Senior Taryn Flagg broke through at the 62:04 mark to pull UNE to within one (2-1), but a 69th minute goal by first-year Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) restored the two-goal margin and gave the Bison some insurance in the closing seconds.

Flagg's goal was number 17 on the season, breaking her own single season record of 16 set a year ago.

Widdison finished with three points for the evening, setting up Lauren Correia's goal in the first frame.

Sophomore Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) made seven saves to earn the win -- a program 17th for Nichols (17-3) -- and hold the nation's sixth-ranked scoring offense more than three goals under their season average.

Her counterpart, junior Ayla Nelson (Auburn, Mass.), turned aside six shots for the Nor'easters (13-3). UNE, which had its nine-game win streak snapped, now awaits word on a possible ECAC Championship bid. The ECAC will release the pairings late Monday (Nov. 9).

The Bison advance to the Saturday's TCCC Championship game against No. 4 New England College, a 2-1 winner over top-seed Endicott College. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Dudley, Mass.