Springfield, Mass. (September 27, 2023) - The Golden Bears returned to Springfield, Massachusetts, after beating Wentworth Institute of Technology 1-0 over the weekend. The Garnet Chargers of Union College entered the game after a scoreless tie against Vassar College over the weekend. Union would get an early goal and hold onto the slim lead for the rest of the game to win 1-0.

• Western New England: 4-2-2 (2-0-0)
• Union College: 3-3-2 (0-1-1)

How it Happened:

The teams ran on the pitch, with Molly McLaughlin leading the Golden Bears in net and Rachel Berliner leading in net for the Garnet Chargers. Union kicked off, and the game was underway. Immediately, Union was putting pressure on the Golden Bears and keeping the ball on the Golden Bears' end of the pitch. The Golden Bears defense kept the Garnet Chargers away at first. In the 8th minute, Katie Kilmeade sent a shot off the crossbar on the Garnet Charger's first major chance of the game. Play went on with the Golden Bears fending off the Garnet Chargers and their opportunities, which included Sam Friedman sending a shot right at McLaughlin, who made the save. Union kept the pressure applied, and it would eventually break down the Golden Bears, as Amanda Sgueglia sent a shot from outside of the 18-yard box in the 16th minute. The ball was lofted just over McLaughlin and into the back of the net for the game's opening goal. The Golden Bears now trailed the Garnet Chargers by a score of 1-0.

Union did not let up after the goal. They kept the pressure on the Golden Bears with a shot by Anne Pearl in the 22nd minute. Friedman was the next to attempt a shot. McLaughlin, however, was there for the save, keeping the score at 1-0. The 27th minute saw the Golden Bears make their first attempt at net of the game. Jordan Paré had the shot, but it was blocked by a defender before getting to the net. That was followed by Addie Zimmerman sending a shot to McLaughlin's left. Mclaughlin made the save. The teams then went back and forth, with both teams making runs toward the opposing team's goal. However, nothing panned out for either team. That was until the final minute of play in the first half. Grace Beazoglou sent a shot toward the bottom right side of the net. McLaughlin would make the save and keep the deficit for the Golden Bears at one going into the break. At the break, Union led in shots (7-1), shots on goal (5-0), and corner kicks (4-2). The teams both had two fouls during the first half. McLaughlin had four saves at the break.

When the teams reconvened for the second half, the Golden Bears tried to equalize the game at one goal per side. Jordan Paré had the first shot of the half in the 46th minute. The shot was off-target. Then, Liza Pinette had the Golden Bears' first shot on goal of the game in the 47th minute. Maya Koster made a save on the shot and kept the score at 1-0. The ball would go back and forth from team to team, with the Garnet Chargers settling back into the game and moving the ball to the Golden Bears' side of the field more. The next shot taken was from the Garnet Chargers. Hannah Sams put a shot on net and made Mclaughlin make a save to keep the Golden Bears in the game. However, Union was putting more and more pressure on the Golden Bears. Gillian Paseka got a shot off, but it went high of the net. That was followed by Abby Free taking a shot in the 75th minute. Union keeper Maya Koster made the save in the lower left side of the net and kept the Garnet Chargers up one. Union would come back with a shot on goal in the 79th minute. Meg Piser sent that shot at McLaughlin, who made a major save on the right side of the net. WNE would go back on the offensive to try and tie up the game late. Paré sent a shot at the net. Koster would make that save. The Golden Bears had a few corners following the shot, but nothing would lead to a goal, and the Garnet Chargers would take down the Golden Bears by a score of 1-0. The final stat line saw Union lead 10-5 in shots, 7-3 in shots on goal, and 7-5 in corner kicks. Both teams had seven fouls during the course of the 90 minutes. 

Inside the Lines:

• WNE hosted Union College in a midweek non-conference matchup.
• Amanda Sgueglia sent a shot into the back of the net from outside the 18-yard box to give the Garnet Chargers the 1-0 lead. 
• Molly McLaughlin made six saves during the game.
• Maya Koster entered the game in the second half and made three saves.
• The Garnet Chargers won the game 1-0.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE will play host to the University of New England in a rematch of the 2022 CCC championship game. That game will be played on Saturday, September 30, at noon.
• Union will return to Schenectady, New York, for Homecoming and Family Weekend. They will take on RPI on Saturday, September 30, at 2:00 PM.