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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Maddie Pope scored twice and Rieley Jessie-Gerelli made 28 saves as Western New England University edged the University of New England, 2-0, in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular-season finale for women's ice hockey on Saturday night (Feb. 17) at the Harold Alfond Forum.
With the result, the Golden Bears (15-7-3, 11-5-2 CCC [37 points]) maintain second place in the league standings and will host the third-seeded Nor'easters (10-12-3, 9-6-3 [31.5]) in the semifinals of the 2024 CCC Women's Ice Hockey Championship next Saturday at 7 p.m.
UNE held a 12-8 cushion in shots through 20 minutes of a scoreless game before Pope found the deciding tally at the 3:12 mark of the 2nd period. Alyssa Murphy's shot from the left wall was blocked as UNE goalie
Delanie Corcoran tracked it towards the far post. The puck dropped off the defender and Pope connected off the first bounce to slide it through the screen and under Corcoran before she was back settled in time.
The second came at 7:28 of the 3rd, when Maddy Tucker sent the puck into a crowd from the blue line. Again, Corcoran spotted it well and had it covered at the right post, but it caromed off the leg of Allison Walker and hopped to the left where Pope was free to punch it in.
The Western New England defense, which received three blocked shots from Kelly Yorkey, held off the ensuing pressure from UNE. The Nor'easters had 11 shot attempts to four the rest of the way, which included six stops by Jessie-Gerelli.
Corcoran finished with 27 saves. In support,
Eliana Kane and
Hannah Humes totaled three blocked shots.
Piper Desorcie,
Mia LaPlante,
Ruby McCall,
Ava Salerno
