Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Senior tri-captain Kelsey Sherman and junior Kaitlynn Stevens each scored five goals apiece to lead the Western New England University women's lacrosse team to a 20-8 Commonwealth Coast Conference victory over Nichols College at Golden Bear Stadium on Tuesday, as the WNE program is 10-0 for the first time in its history. Western New England improves to 3-0 in CCC play while the Bison drop even to 4-4 on the season and are 0-2 in the conference.

Sophomore Kelsey Armstrong matched Stevens with six points on four goals and two assists off the WNE bench. Sophomores Taylor Scialdone (2 goals, 3 assists), Bethany Peters (2g-2a), Brooke Kumnick (1g-2a) and senior Shelby Trebbe (3a) also shined for the Golden Bears offensively.

Alyssa Bufis led Nichols with a hat trick, six ground balls and two caused turnovers, followed by Grace Murphy with two goals, six draw controls and two ground balls. Alexa Smith also had a multi-point afternoon for the Bison with a goal and two assists.

Junior tri-captain Jessica Scannapieco (1 goal, 3 ground balls) collected the first of her game-high 11 draw controls to open the game, passing off to Scialdone who in turn fed Sherman for the first goal just 13 seconds in.

Western New England built a 5-0 lead, including a pair of tallies from Stevens, by the 23:39 mark of the first half and never looked back.

Bufis put the Bison on the scoreboard with 20 minutes and 28 seconds left in the period before Sherman tallied an unassisted goal at 18:25 to ignite another five-goal run for a commanding 10-1 advantage.

The Golden Bears took a 13-4 cushion at the break. Western New England outscored Nichols 7-4 in the second half, putting the game away with six unanswered goals during a 10:21 span. The Bison couldn't get any closer than eight goals when Brooke Marion made it 13-5 to open the scoring in the second stanza.

Nichols hit the post three times in the contest and had a goal disallowed in the first half.

Western New England also enjoyed statistical advantages in shots (40-18), shots on goal (28-13), draw controls (19-11) and ground balls (42-26).

Scialdone scooped up a game-best seven ground balls while Trebbe and Armstrong had five apiece. Junior tri-captain Sarah Stevens led the WNE defensive effort with two caused turnovers and three draw controls.

Katherine Cotton had five ground balls and eight saves in the Nichols goal. Emily Castleman (5 goals allowed) started in the WNE cage and made four saves to go along with two ground balls.

Western New England went 3-for-5 on free-position shots and scored two man-up goals. Nichols converted on both of its free-position attempts.

The Golden Bears are back in action on Saturday at noon at CCC foe Salve Regina University.