Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomore Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) scored twice as the 20th ranked University of New England field hockey team extended its season-opening win streak to 12 games with a 4-0 shutout of Nichols College in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon.

The victory improves the Nor'easters to 4-0 atop the CCC standings and keeps Big Blue as just one of five undefeated teams in the nation. The Bison slip below the .500 mark at 5-6 overall, 1-3 in conference play.

Tavella broke a scoreless match 19:56 into the first frame when she poked home a rebound of her own shot that was saved by Nichols first-year goalkeeper Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.).

UNE doubled its lead just before the break. Senior Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine) found Hayley Lapointe (Topsham, Maine) with a centering pass from the right side and the sophomore lifted the ball high into the cage at the 31:37 mark.

Tavella notched her second goal of the afternoon at 54:29, re-directing a drive by Oswald.

The Nor'easters would add another insurance goal less than two minutes later when sophomore Casey Clark (Berlin, N.H.) notched her team-leading eighth goal off a pass from classmate Kelsea Beisaw (Jay, Maine).

First-year Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) had four saves to register her fourth shutout for UNE, which heads to Springfield, Mass. for a 4 p.m. match Monday at Western New England.

For the Bison, who host Salve Regina University on Tuesday evening (7 p.m.), Melanson stopped eight shots.

UNE held a 25-13 advantage in shots, including a 14-2 margin after halftime. The Nor'easters also racked up 11 of their 16 penalty corners in the final stanza.