Skip To Main Content

Western New England University

The Official Home of Western New England University Athletics
Women's Soccer 10/29/24
0
Nichols NC (4-12-2, 0-9-0)
2
Winner Western New Eng. WNE (10-3-6, 5-2-2)
Nichols NC
(4-12-2, 0-9-0)
0
Final
2
Western New Eng. WNE
(10-3-6, 5-2-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Nichols NC 0 0 0
Western New Eng. WNE 2 0 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Alicandro’s First Career Golden Bear Goal Highlights WNE’s 2-0 Win Over the Bison

Springfield, Mass. (October 29, 2024) – The women's soccer team hosted Nichols College on Tuesday in their regular season finale. The Golden Bears got started early with goals from Abigail Alicandro and Liza Pinette in the first half. Both defenses would stand strong in the second half, and the final score would imitate the halftime score, with the Golden Bears winning 2-0.

Records:

  • Western New England: 10-3-6 (5-2-2)
  • Nichols College: 4-12-2 (0-9-0)

How it Happened:

The crisp fall afternoon contest started with Molly McLaughlin and Saige Frazier in goal for the Golden Bears and Bison, respectively. The Golden Bears got started quickly by earning possession for most of the opening ten minutes of the game and having three shots during that timeframe. The 4th and 8th minutes saw shots go wide of the goal. Then, in the 9th minute, first-year defender Abigail Alicandro received a pass, made a move, dribbled the ball forward, and sent a hard shot from the top-right corner of the penalty box towards the net. The ball would bounce into the goal and give the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead. That was Alicandro's first career Golden Bear goal. The Golden Bears did not stop there. Kyleigh Wheaton tested Frazier in goal with a shot in the 14th minute, which led to a corner kick chance for WNE. However, the Bison cleared the attempt. The Golden Bears pressured the Bison more with a corner kick in the 15th minute.

The teams traded possession for a little while before the Bison earned a corner kick in the 19th minute. The Golden Bears immediately swung the momentum back in their favor with two shots in the 21st minute and a 22nd-minute goal. Lindsay Reidy would send a crossing pass from the right side of the field into the penalty box. Liza Pinette would control the ball and send a shot into the back of the net to give WNE a 2-0 lead. The teams would trade shots in the 26th and 27th minutes. Neither shots tested the goalies. Then after a shot in the 30th minute from the Bison, Isabella Montalvo and Stephanie McKenna had shots saved by Frazier in the bottom-right corner of the goal. Those were the final chances of the first half for either team, and the Golden Bears took a 2-0 lead into halftime. WNE led in the majority of the first-half stat categories. They had more shots 10-2, shots on goal 5-0, and corner kick chances 2-1. Both teams committed four fouls, and the Bison had more saves, 3-0.

The second half saw the Golden Bears have the first shot with a 48th-minute shot going wide. The Bison would control possession and earn a corner kick in the 51st minute. Later that minute, they had a shot go wide of the net. The Golden Bears answered with pressure. They had a shot on goal in the 58th and 59th minutes. Lindsay Reidy saw a shot to the bottom right corner of the net saved by Frazier, and Kyleigh Wheaton saw a shot to the bottom left corner of the goal saved by Frazier. WNE did not let up. They took another shot in the 61st minute. Then, the Bison answered with a corner kick. WNE responded with a shot in the 67th minute. It went wide of the net. The teams traded possession for a while until WNE would earn a corner kick in the 76th minute. The Golden Bears found shot opportunities in the 82nd and 83rd minutes. However, they went wide and over the goal. The final shot of the game was taken by the Bison in the 86th minute. It would go wide of the goal, and after a few more minutes, the Golden Bears would hear the final whistle and earn a 2-0 win over the Bison. The final stats saw WNE leading in shots 17-4 and shots on goal 7-0. The Bison had more saves, 5-0, and fouls, 9-7. Both teams earned three corner kicks.

Coach's Corner

Senior captain Emma French was asked about the 2-0 win today and the team's mindset going into the postseason. "Our team's really excited to go into the postseason. This win against Nichols secured us a home-field game for the first round of playoffs. We're going into it with a great attitude and we're ready to work hard and see where that gets us. We're hoping to advance and win," French stated.

Abigail Alicandro was asked to take us through Alicandro's first career Golden Bear goal and how it felt. "I definitely didn't think that it was gonna happen. I was just at the top of the 18, I was super excited, and I shot with my left, and then it had an awkward bounce, is what coach said, and it went in. I was super excited and I was really happy to bring home a goal for the team," Alicandro answered.

Inside the Lines:

  • The Golden Bears hosted Nichols College on Tuesday in their regular season finale.
  • 8:44 – Abigail Alicandro scored an unassisted goal in the 9th minute to give the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead.
  • 21:56 – Liza Pinette doubled the WNE lead with a goal assisted by Lindsay Reidy. WNE led 2-0.
  • Neither team would score in the second half.
  • Saige Frazier made five saves on seven shots on goal for the Bison.
  • Molly McLaughlin did not have to make a save and earned the Golden Bears a tenth shutout victory on the season.
  • The Golden Bears beat the Bison 2-0.

Up Next on the Schedule:

  • The Golden Bears move on to the CNE postseason tournament with their next game to be played on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Suprenant Field in Springfield, Massachusetts, with the opponent and time to be announced.
  • The Bison's season ends with a final overall record of 4-12-2.
Print Friendly Version