Two goals enough for Nor'easters to top Gulls

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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Goals by first-year defenders Kersey Boulay and Marge Gardiner proved to be enough offense for the University of New England to secure a 2-1 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) field hockey victory over Endicott College on Wednesday evening (Oct. 14) at the Big Blue Turf.

With their third straight win, the Nor'easters (10-5, 7-1 CCC) sweep the season series with the Gulls (7-8, 5-3 CCC) and move a half game in front of Salve Regina University atop of the league standings. UNE has taken seven of the last eight meetings between the teams.

It didn't take long for the hosts to establish an edge, as Boulay stepped up and buried a penalty stroke
attempt into the left side after just 4:02 of action.

That margin held through halftime, until Gardiner doubled it (2-0) in the 42nd minute. A penalty corner play had numbers forward for UNE, and when the initial shot was kicked back up the middle by the goalie, Gardiner pounced on the rebound and guided her first marker of the season inside the left post.

The Gulls pressed to cut into the deficit and a sequence of multiple chances almost split the difference in the 56th minute, but Big Blue senior defender Alyssa Kowal denied a try destined for the right corner of the cage to maintain the two-goal cushion.

Endicott pulled closer in the 67th minute, though, as Morgan Bresnahan collected a loose ball on the left side and slipped a shot through a crowd into the net.

Bresnahan got off one more attempt from the top of the circle in the final moments, but Nor'easters netminder Holly Smith calmly booted her sixth save away from danger.

Rose Bradley made eight stops for the Gulls, who were out-shot by a 14-10 margin and out-cornered 7-4.

UNE starts a four-game road swing on Saturday (1 p.m.) with a visit to Western New England University (3-4 CCC). Endicott will be at Roger Williams University (3-5 CCC) the same afternoon (4 p.m.).