UNE hands women's soccer its first loss of the season, 2-0

LEWISTON, Maine -- Becca Murphy and Jessica Meader connected on two goals less than 10 minutes apart in the second half, giving the University of New England a 2-0 non-conference victory over the Bates College women's soccer team, and dealing the host Bobcats their first loss of the season.

The Nor'easters (5-2-0) won their second straight game and return to Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Saturday at 12pm, hosting Salve Regina.

Bates (3-1-1) plays back-to-back NESCAC games this weekend, at Wesleyan on Saturday at 12pm and at Williams on Sunday at 11am.

Bates attempted 35 shots in the game to UNE's 17, including a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal, but the Nor'easters created better scoring chances and took better advantage of them.

Murphy first scored in the 48th minute, getting a pass from Meader and shooting from 30 yards in front of the Bates goal, dropping the ball over the reach of Bates sophomore goalie Sarah McCarthy (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), under the crossbar and inside the right post.

Nearly 10 minutes later, in the 57th minute, Meader blasted a shot on a breakaway that McCarthy turned away, but Murphy knocked in the carom from 10 yards out for the 2-0 advantage.

Bates outshot UNE 19-9 in the first half, but the Nor'easters had just as many serious scoring threats as the Bobcats.

Bates' best chance in the period came in the 33rd minute, when sophomore Libby Masalsky's (Dedham, Mass.) shot from near the right endline got past UNE goalie Brielle Robinson, who was caught out of the Nor'easter goal, but walled off at the goal line by a UNE defender. Karen Lockhart hit the ground to try to knock in the rebound, but two UNE defenders also converged on the ball to prevent the score.

UNE then had a flurry in the 40th minute, with back-to-back shots in close by Devon Wolfenden first blocked by a Bates back, then saved by McCarthy. McCarthy also stopped a UNE chance in the final minute of the half, storming out of the goal to thwart a breakaway chance by Nor'easter forward Jackie Dickerson.

UNE goalie Brielle Robinson earned the shutout with 10 saves, with two other saves credited to the team. For Bates, McCarthy made eight saves.