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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Two goals in the 2nd stanza and 21 stops from Danielle DeJon polished off a 2-0 Conference of New England women's ice hockey victory for the University of New England against Nichols College at the Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday night (Jan. 24). The season-best crowd of 527 got to enjoy the 10th Annual Teddy Bear Toss, which is organized by the Forum Student Building Managers to benefit the MaineHealth Maine Medical Center facilities in Biddeford and Sanford, as well as Make-a-Wish Maine.

It was the third shutout this season by the Nor'easters (8-10, 4-7 CNE) and the first out of DeJon, who came up large down the stretch as the hosts weathered a substantial push from the visitors. The Bison (5-13, 2-11) worked with at least one extra skater for the final 4:58, after UNE's only two penalties went into the book at 15:02 and 15:48. In the midst of clearing the 5-on-3 under a flurry of pressure [Watch], NC then pulled the goalie with 2:51 on the clock to make it 6-on-4 (for 39 seconds), but the Nor'easters were able to limit any chances in the waning moments to seal the win. 

After a scoreless 1st period, in which UNE held a 10-2 cushion in shots, the Nor'easters got the Teddy Bear Toss goal at the 6:45 mark of the 2nd. A shot and save was cleared away by a defender, but only as far as the left point, where Jamie Ryan shoveled it back towards the net and Emerson Homa redirected it just enough to squirt past Ivy Grant, off of the post, and in [Watch]. It was Homa's first score in a UNE sweater.

The hosts added to the lead with 1:09 left in the middle session on a tally by Mackenzie O'Leary. Hannah Humes and Adria Tebo couldn't quite connect during a 2-on-1 in transition, but Tebo recovered the puck behind the net and flipped it back out through the slot to O'Leary trailing the play, and the defender snapped one into the top-left corner for her second goal of the season [Watch].

Ryan, O'Leary, Amanda Forziati, and Jenna Kirch each had a pair of blocked shots in support of DeJon.

The Nor'easters are back in action Friday at Johnson & Wales University.

For Nichols, Grant finished with 22 stops.