Statistics

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Behind two goals from Alyssa Murphy and 35 stops out of Rieley Jessie-Gerelli, second-seeded Western New England University posted a 2-1 decision over third-seeded University of New England as the semifinal round of the 2024 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Women's Ice Hockey Championship wrapped up Saturday night (Feb. 24) at teh Olympia Ice Center.

The Golden Bears (16-7-3) will now host next Saturday's final, after top seed and nationally-ranked Endicott College was upset by No.5 Curry College, 1-0, in the other game of the day.

UNE first campaign under head coach Cassandra Sherman comes to a close with an overall ledger of 10-13-3.

After the Nor'easters doubled-up the home team in shots during the opening 20 minutes, 10-5, it wasn't until the 7:21 mark of the 2nd period, on a power play, that Murphy broke the ice with a wrist shot from the left circle into the far right top corner.

The goal sparked a flurry of chances for Western New England, keeping UNE goalie Delanie Corcoran busy, but the visitors weathered the surge before having a little burst of their own that ended with the team-leading 10th goal of the season for Piper Desorcie. Hannah Humes sent an outlet pass into the neutral zone to Desorcie, who navigated across the blue and flicked the puck off a defender wide of the cage. Mia LaPlante was first to chase it down, and served it right out in front for Desorcie to step in and stuff through.

Both sides continued to apply end-to-end pressure before the 2nd intermission, but Jessie-Gerelli and Corcoran held strong.

Murphy's deciding goal came at 4:49 of the 3rd in almost identical fashion to the first one -- from the left circle and high inside the right post.

UNE killed off a penalty just before the midway mark of the frame, which, combined with the moments that followed, prompted Corcoran into five saves. And then the final eight minutes were almost all Nor'easters, firing off nine shots to be stops by Jessie-Gerelli and five others that were blocked before reaching the target. The visitors managed to get Corcoran to the bench for a sixth skater with 60 seconds to go, but the Golden Bears were able to preserve the result and advance to the program's first championship game.

Jessie-Gerelli totaled 35 saves for WNEU. Corcoran logged 30 on the opposite end, and received some helping protection from Kelly McCarthy and Jamie Ryan, who shared the game-high of three blocked shots.