Worcester, Mass. (January 5, 2024) - The Golden Bears returned to the ice after break for a matchup with Anna Maria College at Buffone Arena in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Golden Bears scored four goals in the opening period of play. Three goals followed that in the third period to give the Golden Bears a 7-0 win in their first game of the 2024 calendar year. Zoe Galanoudis scored a hat trick of goals to lead the Golden Bears.

Records:

• Western New England: 7-3-2 (6-2-1)
• Anna Maria College: 3-7-3 (3-1-1)

How it Happened:

With Luciana Robertelli and Sam Dahill in net for the Golden Bears and Amcats, respectively, the first game of the 2024 calendar year began for the Golden Bears. Kourtney Mielke won the opening faceoff for the Amcats. The Golden Bears would start quickly with six of the first seven shots on goal. The sixth shot would be the opening goal of the game. Leah Dube pushed a pass to Emma Birmingham, who saw Katie Cronin wide open in front of the net. Birmingham found Cronin with the pass, and Cronin sent the puck into the back of the net, 1-0 Golden Bears 3:39 into the opening period of play. The Golden Bears would have three of the next four shots on goal after Cronin's goal. The third shot on goal would go in for WNE. Six minutes into the game, Zoe Galanoudis doubled the Golden Bear lead. Jenna Lynch got the puck from Ziya Damas, skated down the right side of the ice, and found Galanoudis skating towards the net. Galanoudis tipped the puck past the goalie while falling to the ice. The score was now 2-0 Golden Bears. Shortly after the goal, Anna Maria went on the power play. Each team had a shot during the Anna Maria power play, but both goalies made the saves to keep the score how it was. Then, with 7:51 left in the opening period of play, the Golden Bears had their first power play opportunity. The Golden Bears had two shots on goal during the power play. Allison Walker tipped in the second for the third goal of the game. With 6:56 left in the opening period of play, Maddie Pope sent a pass across the ice to Alexa Paoli, who sent a wrist shot at goal, and Walker tipped it into the back of the net. The Golden Bears led 3-0. As that power play ended because of the goal, Anna Maria was called for another penalty, and the Golden Bears looked to make it two-for-two on the power play. A goal which they achieved 54 seconds later because of Galanoudis's second goal of the night. Galanoudis fed a pass to Jenna Lynch behind the net, who pushed a pass to Ziya Damas. Damas turned and fed a spinning backhand pass to Galanoudis, who finished the play by sending the puck into the goal. The Golden Bears led 4-0. Anna Maria would go on the power play soon after.

Three shots tested Robertelli, but no goals on the power play for the Amcats. Almost immediately after the penalty kill, the Golden Bears were called for another penalty. The Golden Bears had one shorthanded shot on goal during the Anna Maria penalty, but it was saved by Dahill. The Golden Bears and Amcats would finish the period with no more goals, and the Golden Bears would lead by four going into the first intermission. After the first period, the stats were as follows: the Golden Bears led 19-8 in shots, 19-9 in faceoffs won, 2-0 in blocked shots and power play goals, and had one more penalty than the Amcats. The Amcats had more saves, 15-8. The score was 4-0 Golden Bears after the first period of play.

Carly Drew would win the opening faceoff for the second period of play. WNE started the second period with five of the first six shots on goal. Dahill made each save. Robertelli and Dahill would trade saves. The teams would settle into the second period as the puck moved from team to team and side to side. The Golden Bears had eight shots in a row during the middle of the period. The second period of play would finish without a goal or penalty during it. The Golden Bears had 19 shots on goal during the second period of play compared to the eight from the Amcats. No penalties were called against either team in the second period of play. After two periods of play, the score was still 4-0.

The final period of play started with an Allison Walker faceoff win. The Golden Bears started the final period of play with three shots on goal. The third resulting in a goal. 4:01 into the final period of play, Maddie Pope would get the fifth goal of the game. Allison Walker sent the puck to Alyssa Murphy, who sent it across the face of the goal to Pope, who slotted the puck in the back of the net. The score was 5-0 Golden Bears. WNE kept the pressure on the Amcats after that, and it led to an Anna Maria penalty. The Golden Bears had one shot on goal during the power play. The Amcats would follow the penalty kill with two shots on goal that Robertelli saved. Then, the Amcats went on the power play. Anna Maria had one shot on the power play, which was saved by Robertelli. The Golden Bears answered with seven of the next nine shots on goal. Then, the eighth shot from the Golden Bears would go in, and Galanoudis would have a hat trick. Ziya Damas sent the puck to Jenna Lynch, who would push the pass to Galanoudis in the left corner of the ice. Galanoudis squared up and fired a shot past the goalie to make the score 6-0 with two minutes left in the game. Later, Emma McGuane sent the puck to Maddie Tucker. Tucker sent a cross-ice pass to Abby Hay. Hay would tip the puck past the goalie, and the Golden Bears had the 7-0 lead, which would stay like that until the end of the game. Both teams would draw a penalty in the third period of play. The Golden Bears would lead in shots on goal 16-6 for the third period of play, and 54-22 for the entire game. The final score saw the Golden Bears win the game 7-0.

Inside the Crease:

• WNE traveled to Worcester, Massachusetts, to play at Anna Maria College.
• Katie Cronin opened the scoring 3:39 into the game. Emma Birmingham and Leah Dube had the assists. The score was 1-0, Golden Bears.
• Zoe Galanoudis had the second goal of the game six minutes in. Jenna Lynch and Ziya Damas were given the assists on the goal. The Golden Bears had a 2-0 lead.
• Allison Walker scored a power play goal for the Golden Bears' third goal at the 13:04 mark. Alexa Paoli and Maddie Pope were credited with the assists. The score was 3-0 in favor of the Golden Bears.
• Zoe Galanoudis had a second goal on the night and the second power play goal for the Golden Bears to make the score 4-0 at the 13:58 mark. Ziya Damas and Jenna Lynch had the assists for the power play goal. 
• Maddie Pope had the fifth goal 4:01 into the third period of play. Alyssa Murphy and Allison Walker notched the assists for the goal. The Golden Bears had a 5-0 lead.
• Zoe Galanoudis sent the puck into the back of the net for a third time to earn a hat trick. That goal was assisted by Jenna Lynch and Ziya Damas. WNE led 6-0 with 2:00 left in the game. 
• The final goal was scored by Abby Hay. Hay was assisted by Maddie Tucker and Emma McGuane. That goal made the score 7-0 with 1:18 left in the game.
• Sam Dahill made 47 saves for the AMCATs.
• Luciana Robertelli made 22 saves and earned a shutout win.
• The Golden Bears won the game 7-0.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will be back in action on Saturday, January 6, at 7:00 PM when they host Worcester State University at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
• The Amcats will host Nichols College on Saturday, January 6, at 7:20 PM at Buffone Arena in Worcester, Massachusetts, for their next game.