Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- University of New England junior Emily Koehler (Pelham, N.H.) scored the go-ahead goal with 17:22 remaining as the second-seeded Nor'easters pulled out a 2-1 victory over No. 3 Nichols College in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Field Hockey Championship semifinals played Thursday afternoon at the Big Blue Turf.

Big Blue advances to Saturday's championship game, which will be at top-seeded Endicott College (a 2-0 winner over No. 4 Gordon College). Game time is slated for 1 p.m.

UNE (18-2) broke through first at the 12:50 mark of the opening half, when a shot on a fast break was denied and sophomore Casey Clark (Bethlehem, N.H.) was there to tuck the rebound into the lower right corner -- her team-leading 14th goal of the season.

The score remained 1-0 at intermission, despite the Bison leading in shots (12-10) and penalty corners (9-4). Big Blue first-year goalie Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) turned aside eight shots in the frame to keep Nichols off the board.

Play opened up a bit as the second period began, and in the 46th minute the Bison knotted the contest at 1-1. Junior Barbara Roy (Springfield, Mass.) was on the receiving end of long pass up the middle, and after her first attempt was stopped, she was able to push a second try through.

Nichols looked primed to snag the lead less than two minutes later, as junior Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) got herself behind the UNE defense, running right into the arc, but Warren raced out to cut down the angle and block the shot attempt away.

The Nor'easters went back in front for good in the 53rd minute on a penalty corner play, as senior Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine) found Koehler on the left side, and the defender notched her second game-winner of the season.

It appeared as though UNE would net an insurance goal in the 59th minute off the stick of Clark, but a diving save from Nichols first-year Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.) kept the deficit at one.

The Bison got off seven shots and had four penalty corners the rest of the way, but could not find the equalizer before time expired. For the game, Nichols held advantages in shots (29-23) and penalty corners (16-12).

Warren posted a season-high 17 stops between the pipes for UNE, which defeated its opponent for the fourth straight meeting.

Nichols, which ends its season with a record of 9-9, received 11 saves from Melanson and a defensive stop from senior Alexa Boucher (West Springfield, Mass.).

2011 CCC Field Hockey Championship

Final | Beverly, Mass.

Saturday, November 5 | 1:00 p.m.

#1 Endicott (11-8) vs. #2 UNE (18-2)

Last Meeting: October 15, 2011 (Endicott won at home, 5-0)

All-time Series: Endicott leads, 8-3

Big Blue met its next foe, Endicott, twice during the regular season, with each squad winning at home. UNE earned a 4-2 win back on September 17, and then the Gulls handed UNE its first loss of the season with a 5-0 decision on October 15, in a match played in Wenham, Mass.

The Nor'easters are back in the title game for the second consecutive season, having taken home the TCCC crown in 2010 with a road shutout (3-0) of top-seeded and former CCC member New England College.


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