Statistics
Photos
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Fourth-seeded University of New England scored goals in three quarters and held off fifth seed Johnson & Wales University in the waning minutes to move on in the 2026 Conference of New England (CNE) Field Hockey Championship with a 3-1 first-round triumph on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 31) at Blue Bolt Field.
With the win, the Nor'easters (9-10) advance to Wednesday's 7 p.m. semifinal at No.1 Endicott College. The Wildcats -- who dropped a 3-0 decision in Biddeford back on September 25Â -- see their season come to a close with an overall record of 10-7.
The teams came out of halftime tied at 1-1, and UNE hardly gave an inch in the 3rd period. The hosts took the lead for good in the 35th minute when a dangerous ball into the circle found
Kate Kelso for a one-timer turnaround shot. While JWU keeper Sophia Brea managed to fight that one off,
Corinne Ramunno pounced on the rebound at the right post and squeezed it over the line for the rookie's sixth goal of the year
[Watch].
Ella Reeves provided some insurance and made it 3-1 with her team-leading 8th tally in the 51st minute, blasting one home on a penalty corner play, with assists to
Isabel Culver and Kelso.
[Watch]
The visitors turned up the pressure down the stretch to try and stay alive, firing off 11 shots around seven corners over the final nine minutes, but JWU could not solve the Nor'easter defense again.
Riley Curtin made one of her six stops on a tricky spinning deflection with a little over two minutes to play
[Watch], and initially looked to save a lifted attempt on the very next play, but Reeves lunged in behind to swat the bouncing ball clear from the crease
[Watch].
"The team worked hard to get the win today. We had some really great passing sequences and defensive stops to hold off JWU, as they played us tough," said UNE head coach Danielle Collins. "We will enjoy the day off tomorrow and be back at it on Monday to prepare for Endicott. They are ready and locked in now."
UNE never trailed in the contest once Kelso opened the scoring just over five minutes into the match. A wide shot by Ramunno was blocked and skipped to where Kelso could control it moving away from the cage, so the senior kept it on the backhand and shoveled it inside the left post for her fifth goal of the campaign.
[Watch]
Lucy Verderber brought the Wildcats back level in the 24th minute, picking off a pass in the midfield and taking open space before a drive from just inside the circle.
Brea matched Curtin's six saves for Johnson & Wales, as shots on goal finished at 9-8 in favor of UNE. Total shots (18-13) and penalty corners (12-4) settled on JWU's side.
The Nor'easters have now reached 17 consecutive semifinals in the league tournament, dating back to 2009. Wednesday's date in Beverly, Mass. will be the 44th installment of one of the biggest rivalries in any sport within the conference -- it will be the 11th CCC/CNE postseason meeting since 2011, and the first eight showdowns were in finals. During the 2026 regular season, the Gulls fell behind on the road before separating to a 6-2 result.
