Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- First-year Hayley LaPointe (Topsham, Maine) came of the bench to score a pair of second-half goals to help the University of New England to a 4-1 The Commonwealth Coast Conference field hockey victory over Western New England College Saturday afternoon at the Big Blue Turf.

With the win, the Nor'easters level their overall mark at 4-4 and improve to 2-1 in conference games. The Golden Bears (3-6, 2-1 TCCC) drop their third straight decision with the loss.

After the opening frame saw each team put one score on the board, LaPointe gave the hosts the lead for good just 4:32 into the final period, converting a pass from junior Bree Tupper (Winthrop, Maine).

Senior Bri Youland (Turner, Maine) increased the cushion to 3-1 in the 54th minute, scoring her first of the season off a penalty corner play from first-year Casey Clark (Franconia, N.H.) and senior Michaela Franey (York, Maine).

LaPointe tacked on the final goal with under five minutes remaining to put the game out of reach.

Franey opened the scoring in the first half five minutes in, rocketing a drive home from just inside the circle for her eleventh goal of the season. Tupper and first-year Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) recorded assists on the play, which started as a penalty corner.

For the game, the Nor'easters held a 16-8 advantage in penalty corners.

The Golden Bears got their lone goal of the contest at the 15:02 mark off the stick of senior Kaela Jalbert (Turner, Maine), who dribbled through several defenders before notching her first of the season to tie the score at 1-1.

UNE's senior goalie Ayla Nelson (Auburn, Mass.) and WNEC first-year Brittney O'Brien (Carver, Mass.) each posted eight saves for the match.

Big Blue is off until next Saturday (Oct. 2), when it travels to Anna Maria College for an 11 a.m. TCCC game. Western New England returns home Wednesday (7 p.m.) for a non-conference tilt against Manhattanville College.