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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Kyleigh Matola stacked up a season-best 39 saves and nine University of New England women's ice hockey skaters provided 21 blocked shots as the Nor'easters secured a 3-0 triumph against Suffolk University in Conference of New England (CNE) action at the Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 6).

It was Matola's second clean sheet in as many days against the Rams, following up 33 stops in a road win on Friday. In eight games of work, the rookie netminder is sporting a 1.15 goals against average and a .965 save percentage.

The defensive effort for UNE (5-6-0, 3-3-0 CNE) was aided by six blocks by Hannah Humes and five more from Jamie Ryan. The Nor'easters survived all five Suffolk power plays, including one in the latter stages of the 1st period that saw Matola deny seven shots to keep the visitors from equalizing with the extra player.

Jenna Kirch opened the scoring less than six minutes into the opening frame, receiving a cross-ice pass from Averi Curran and stepping into the right dot from the blue line for wrister into the top near-side corner [Watch]. Danielle McCarthy also assisted on the play.

UNE gained a numbers advantage with four minutes left in the 2nd on a Rams penalty and only needed 20 seconds to double the lead, as Amanda Forziati punched it in from close range [Watch]. Curran and Forziati both had chances stopped in the moments before it, and then Kirch centered the rebound from below the goal line. Forziati tops the team with seven points, and Curran stands next at six.

Still facing the two-goal deficit, Suffolk pulled goalie Katelyn Michals down the stretch in the 3rd, but then Humes forced a neutral-zone turnover and buried a half-ice shot into the empty net to put things out of reach [Watch]. It was the first point of the season for the senior defender, who led the squad in points by nearly double the next players last year.

Michals wound up with 19 saves for the Rams (4-4-1, 4-3-1), who fell for the third straight outing.

The Nor'easters are now off for four weeks and resume action on January 3 with a visit from the University of Southern Maine.