Box Score

RUTLAND, Vt. -- Facing an early 2-0 deficit, the University of New England women's ice hockey team scored three power-play goals in the final two periods to take a 3-2 win over Castleton University in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) quarterfinal-round playoff game Saturday afternoon (Feb. 25) at Spartan Arena.

The fifth-seeded Nor'easters (11-13-2) will now face top-seeded Norwich University in one semifinal game this coming Friday (March 3) at 4 p.m. Second-seeded Manhattanville College and No. 3 UMass Boston will battle in the other half of the bracket. Friday's semifinals and Saturday's championship game will be held at Kreitzberg Arena on the Norwich campus. 

UNE fell behind 2-0 as Sabrina Hosner and Hannah Rose scored first-period goals. The Nor'easters got on the board at 12:04 of the middle frame when Emily Corrales scored on a tic-tac-toe play from Julianne Sheehan and Mary Wirth. The visitors would then draw even less than four minutes later on a goal by Annie Mullen, who converted a one-timer from the slot. Abby Kinens assisted on the play. It was then Kinens who provided UNE with the game-winner at 5:59 of the third. With the Nor'easters on another extra-skater situation, Kinens slipped a low shot just inside the near post after receiving a feed from Sheehan. Castleton had killed off one penalty during a UNE 5-on-3 power play, but Kinens struck before the Spartans could kill off the other.

Jocelyn Forrest nearly tied the game for the Spartans with six minutes remaining, but her rebound conversion attempt was stopped by a UNE defender.

Sydney Helmbrecht had 10 of her 26 saves in the final period to keep UNE's one-goal cushion intact. Alexis Kalm totaled 26 stops for Castleton (8-14-4), which was seeded fourth for the NEHC Championship.