Springfield, Mass. (October 23, 2024) – The Golden Bears hosted the University of Hartford for a CNE contest on Wednesday afternoon. The Hawks started quickly with a goal in the 13th and 16th minutes. Stephanie McKenna would answer for the Golden Bears with a goal in the 55th minute. However, the Hawks would net one more goal in the 72nd minute and beat the Golden Bears 3-1.

Records:

• Western New England: 8-3-6 (3-2-2)
• University of Hartford: 10-3-2 (5-1-1)

How it Happened:

Molly McLaughlin got the start in net for the Golden Bears. Sejal Johnson opposed McLaughlin in the Hawks' net. The teams got a feel for the game for the first seven minutes of the contest. Both teams moved the ball around the pitch, but no major opportunities were found. The 8th minute saw Hartford change that. Christina Stone had a shot on goal, which McLaughlin saved. The Hawks continued the pressure with a shot blocked in the 10th minute. In the 13th minute, Kathleen Brush had the ball on the right corner of the field. Brush moved the ball towards the top right corner of the penalty box and sent a left-footed shot, which fell into the bottom right side of the goal. The Hawks had a 1-0 lead early in the game. Hartford did not stop pressuring WNE. They had a shot in the 15th minute go over the goal. Then, in the 16th minute, Imani Jenkins dribbled the ball towards the WNE goal. Jenkins moved the ball from left to right and sent a right-footed shot at the bottom-right corner of the WNE net and scored. The Hawks now had a 2-0 lead over the Golden Bears with just under thirty minutes left in the first half.

The Golden Bears controlled the ball for a little while after that. However, Hartford would quickly repossess the ball and continue the pressure. They had a shot go wide in the 24th minute and then a shot saved by McLaughlin in the 27th minute. The teams moved the ball back and forth, trading possessions for several minutes after that. The Golden Bears were the next team to have a scoring opportunity. Brynn Murphy made a run at the goal, which would end in a shot, but it went just wide of the net in the 34th minute. That was the final major opportunity for either team in the first half, and the half ended with the Golden Bears trailing the Hawks 2-0. The first-half stats saw Hartford leading in shots 7-1 and shots on goal 4-0. The Golden Bears had more saves 2-0 and fouls 5-4. Neither team had a corner-kick opportunity in the first half.

The second half began with a WNE corner kick opportunity in the 48th minute and a shot blocked in the 49th minute. However, the contest saw the Hawks generate more shot opportunities after that. Jenkins had a shot go wide in the 50th minute. Then, Hartford had a corner kick opportunity and a shot which ricocheted off the crossbar in the 50th minute, as well. Jenkins received the ball after that shot and sent a shot at McLaughlin, which McLaughlin saved. They had three more shots on goal in the 54th minute. McLaughlin was able to make every save to keep the Golden Bears down by only two goals. Then, in the 55th minute, Stephanie McKenna had the ball at the bottom-left corner of the field. McKenna moved the ball from left to right and, just after entering the left side of the penalty box, sent a right-footed shot which curled over the goalie and into the back of the net. WNE now only trailed by one goal. Hartford answered with pressure. They had a corner kick opportunity in the 56th minute and a shot from Jenkins in the 57th minute, which McLaughlin saved. The Hawks did not give the Golden Bears any more momentum by controlling possession and gaining another corner kick opportunity in the 59th minute and shots in the 61st and 62nd minutes. Brush had the second shot and made McLaughlin make a save. The 68th minute saw a corner kick opportunity and a shot miss high of the net. WNE would gain some possession after that. However, Hartford would counter, and after some time, the ball fell to Christina Stone, who sent a shot at the goal while falling away from it. The ball would glance off the crossbar and go down and into the net. The Hawks had reestablished their two-goal lead. That is how it would stay. The Hawks continued hunting for another goal with a corner kick in the 73rd minute and a shot blocked in the 75th minute. McLaughlin would make another save in the 78th minute and saw the WNE defense block another shot in the 79th minute. WNE tried to maintain possession, but Hartford would regain possession and take a shot in the 80th minute, which went wide of the net. The final ten minutes saw the teams trade possession of the ball some more. The Hawks had another shot in the 88th minute. However, it went wide, and a corner kick was earned in that minute also. The 89th minute saw the Hawks earn their seventh corner kick of the second half. However, the Golden Bears cleared it. The final shot of the game followed that. The Hawks had a shot go wide, and that was the final major opportunity for either team. The game ended soon after that, and the Hawks beat the Golden Bears 3-1. The final stats saw the Hawks lead in shots 24-3, shots on goal 12-1, corner kicks 7-1, and fouls 8-7. The Golden Bears had more saves, 9-0.

Coach's Corner

Kristin Hensinger, head coach of the women's soccer team, was asked for a comment on today's game. "They (Hartford) were a really strong team with prolific goal scorers. I thought we had a pretty good game, had a 5 minute lapse in the first half and they were able to capitalize on their chances. We will find a way to learn from this and refocus on Saturday," Hensinger stated.

Inside the Lines:

• WNE hosted the University of Hartford Hawks on Wednesday.
• 12:21 – Kathleen Brush gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute of the contest with an unassisted goal.
• 15:13 – Imani Jenkins doubled the Hawks' lead with an unassisted goal in the 16th minute to give Hartford the 2-0 lead.
• 54:31 – Stephanie McKenna cut the Hartford lead in half early in the second half with an unassisted goal. The Hawks led 2-1.
• 71:14 – Christina Stone gave the Hawks a two-goal lead for the second time of the game with an unassisted goal in the 72nd minute. The Hawks led 3-1.
• Molly McLaughlin made nine saves on twelve shots on goal.
• Sejal Johnson earned the win for the Hawks.
• The Hawks beat the Golden Bears 3-1.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will travel to Milton, Massachusetts, on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 11:00 AM for a CNE showdown with Curry College.
• The Hawks will return home for Senior Day as they host the Wentworth Institute of Technology at noon on Saturday, October 26, 2024.