Box Score

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Top-seeded Endicott College received a goal from junior Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) 56 seconds into overtime, giving the Gulls a 2-1 victory in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Field Hockey Championship final over second-seeded University of New England at North Field Saturday afternoon.

The win was Endicott's seventh straight and puts the Gulls (12-8) into the NCAA Championship field with the conference's automatic bid for the first time in program history. The participants and pairings for the national tournament will be announced on Monday. The Nor'easters (18-3) will now await word on their postseason future, which will also be determined on Monday.

Matties controlled a deep penalty corner insert from Hannah Thornberg, then wove her way around two defenders to before hitting a shot from 10 yards out into the left side for the game-winner.

UNE senior Bree Tupper (Winthrop, Maine) drilled home a one-timer in the 11th minute of the contest to put the visitors in front. The goal was Tupper's 10th of the season and came on Big Blue's first shot of the day, off a pass from junior Laura Egounis (Boscawen, N.H.).

The lead lasted just 2:18, as Matties found junior Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine) in the middle for her team-leading 15 goal of the year.

Quality scoring chances were limited the rest of regulation, with the Gulls amassing advantages in shots (15-8) and penalty corners (18-11). The corner and shot for Endicott in extra time added one to each tally.

Junior Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) only needed to make three saves to get the win for EC.

For the Nor'easters, first-year goalie Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) recorded 10 stops, and Egounis added a defensive save.


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