Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Abby Kinens and Mary Wirth scored 2:08 apart midway through the second period to lift the University of New England women's ice hockey team to a 3-2 win over Plymouth State University in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) game played Friday night (Feb. 17) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

UNE will head into its final regular-season contest with a mark of 9-13-2 (6-9-1 NEHC), while the Panthers will take a ledger of 8-14-2 (4-11-1) into their regular-season finale tomorrow versus Norwich University.

With the Nor'easters trailing 2-1, Kinens tied the score with eight minutes remaining in the second, converting from the low slot after Cassandra Connolly found her from behind the cage [WATCH]. Marykate Drinkwater had a secondary assist.

Wirth would notch the power-play game-winner 2:08 later when she skated into the mid-slot from the left boards and sniped home a wrist shot [WATCH]. Kierra Wright (JR/Georgia, Vt.) had sent the puck toward the Plymouth State goal and received credit for an assist.

UNE goaltender Sydney Helmbrecht made the one-goal advantage stand up the rest of the way, piling up 14 saves in the third period to finish the evening with a total of 28. She made a brilliant stop of a potential game-tying bid by Brooke Maggy (SO/Alhambra, Calif.) with 2:24 remaining, snapping up a wrister headed for just inside the right post [WATCH].

Connolly tallied the lone goal of the opening period to give UNE a 1-0 cushion, stuffing in a pass from Annie Mullen (JR/Concord, N.H.) at the 11:12 mark [WATCH].

The Panthers would respond with back-to-back markers in the second to pull ahead, 2-1. Kelsey Roy (SO/Fort Collins, Colo.) scored in heavy traffic from the top of the crease with 51 seconds elapsed on a goal assisted by Lauren Connelly (SR/Braintree, Mass.) and Shannon Hickey (JR/Arlington, Mass.). Julie Nagel (FY/Canton, Mass.) gave Plymouth State a one-goal lead at 8:30 when she cleaned up a rebound from the left doorstep. Alivia Bates (JR/Pennsauken, N.J.) had put the first shot on goal after taking a pass from Emily Aube (SR/Stoughton, Wisc.).

Goaltender Mariah Trupp (JR/Topeka, Kan.) came up with 23 stops for Plymouth State.

The Nor'easters will honor their nine seniors tomorrow before their game versus St. Michael's College at the Alfond Forum (4 p.m.).