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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- A 1st-half score by Morgan Diefenbach and two 2nd-half goals from Kylie Curtin powered the No.2 seed University of New England in a 3-0 shutout of third-seeded Curry College in the semifinals of the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Women's Soccer Championship on Tuesday night (Nov. 1) at Barbara J. Hazard Field.

The Nor'easters (11-5-3) will make the program's fourth CCC title match appearance, and third in the last four tries, on Saturday (12 p.m.) at No.1 Western New England University. [Interactive Bracket]. The Golden Bears survived eight rounds of penalty kicks to advance past fourth seed Roger Williams University earlier in the afternoon.

After vaulting UNE into the semifinal round with a late header on Saturday, Diefenbach's second tally of the season was just as valuable, getting the hosts on the board again in the 16th minute of the evening's action. Bella Reil sent a corner kick into the box that Marie Hoehner knocked down after the first hop, and Diefenbach stepped right into it with the outside of her right foot, guiding it into the back of the net. [Watch]

The Nor'easters had all four corner kicks and a 5-1 advantage in shots-on-target during the opening period, but the margin remained one at the break.

Following intermission, the field began to tilt even more in UNE's favor, and Tori Keyes almost doubled the cushion in the 57th minute, rocketing one from the top of the box square off the crossbar. A few minutes later, though, the Nor'easters did get their second. Karley Belisle raced some 50-plus yards up the middle and slipped a through-ball to Curtin on the left side, who slotted a first-touch shot under the keeper diving to the near post. [Watch]

The same rookie duo connected for another in the 78th, as Curtin gained possession in the middle and passed to Belisle out wide, before making a near-post run to put a glancing heel-flick onto Belisle's low cross from the right edge of the box. [Watch]

Curry had brief moments in dangerous areas down the stretch, but never really tested the UNE cage. The back line of Riley Dunphy and Co. fended off most opportunities before they even reached the box, while first-year Ariel Martin (82 minutes) and senior Sydney Gillingham combined for three saves in the shutout. In the last five meetings with the Colonels, the Nor'easters have not yielded a goal (14-0).

Hannah Correa totaled six stops for Curry, which wraps the season with a 10-6-3 ledger.

Saturday's date with WNEU will be a rematch of the 2018 final, which UNE claimed by a 1-0 margin for the middle of its three championship trophies (also 2000 and 2019). The Golden Bears took this year's regular-season contest in Biddeford on October 15, overcoming the first goal to pick up a 3-1 result.