Springfield, Mass. (October 2, 2024) – The Golden Bears returned home from their 9-0 win on Saturday to host the Smith College Pioneers. Sarah Johnston netted the first goal in the 12th minute. That was followed by a Haley Kaczka goal, assisted by Analise Trani, in the 45th minute. Laura Dreher cut the WNE lead in half in the 54th minute, but the Golden Bears held on to claim the 2-1 victory.

Records:

• Western New England: 6-4 (2-0)
• Smith College: 1-8 (0-2)

How it Happened:

The game began with Ella Henry and Emma Newman in goal for the Golden Bears and Pioneers, respectively. Right out of the gate, it was Smith College with three shots in a row. Laura Dreher's shot hit the right goalpost in the 7th minute. Smith College was almost up 1-0 early. However, the Golden Bears countered with three shots in a row after that. Amanda Burns and Mackenna Cooke had shots on goal, which were saved by Newman. Then, in the 12th minute, Sarah Johnston drove in towards the goal and sent a quick shot past the goalie and into the back of the goal. The Golden Bears were up 1-0 with 3:56 left in the first quarter. Neither team would find another opportunity for a shot in the first quarter, and the first ended with the Golden Bears leading 1-0. The first-quarter stats showed a close game. Both teams had three shots and no penalty corners. The Golden Bears led in shots on goal 3-0, and the Pioneers led in saves 2-0.

The Golden Bears took the end of the first quarter and used it as momentum in the second quarter. The second minute of the second quarter saw two shots blocked by the Pioneer defense, then a penalty corner for WNE. The Golden Bears had another shot blocked after that penalty corner. It continued with the Golden Bears earning a penalty corner and having a shot go wide in the 19th minute of the game. Then, Johnston had a shot saved by Newman in the 20th minute. The Golden Bears did not stop there. They kept the pressure on with a penalty corner and a shot, which got blocked in the 22nd minute. They had another penalty corner and two shots in the 27th minute. The first shot was from Analise Trani. It was saved by Newman. The second went wide of the goal. The Pioneers answered by pressuring the Golden Bears and earning a penalty corner in the 28th minute. However, the Golden Bears stifled that opportunity, and Johnston would have another shot on goal in the 29th minute. Newman made the save and kept the score at 1-0 going into halftime. The first-half stats saw the Golden Bears leading in shots 12-3, shots on goal 6-0, and penalty corners 4-1. The Pioneers led in saves, 3-0.

After the halftime break, the Golden Bears kept up the pressure against the Pioneers. The Golden Bears had a penalty corner and a shot go wide in the 31st minute. They then had a penalty corner in the 33rd minute and three shots on goal in the 34th minute. Mackenna Cooke had the first and third shots. Johnston had the second shot. All three shots were saved by Newman. The Golden Bears kept trying to double their lead. However, Newman stood strong and would not let the Golden Bears do just that yet. The Golden Bears had a second 34th-minute penalty corner. It led to a shot which went wide of the goal. The 36th minute saw another save by Newman. Amanda Burns had the shot this time. The 41st minute saw Smith College send a shot wide of net. They tried to possess the ball a little more and keep the Golden Bears' momentum stifled for a little while. However, the Golden Bears did not let that happen for long. They had a penalty corner in the 43rd minute. That led to a shot from Johnston, which was saved by Newman. The ball fell to Olyvia Whyte, who sent a shot at the bottom right corner of the goal. However, Smith College defender, Kyleigh Poot, made the defensive save. That led to a penalty corner in the same minute. A shot was sent wide by the Golden Bears after the penalty corner. The Pioneers tried to clear the ball. However, WNE would steal the ball back and earn another penalty corner. Amanda Burns took that penalty corner. Burns fed a pass to Analise Trani, who set up Haley Kaczka for a hard shot, which rose into the back of the goal, and the Golden Bears had a 2-0 lead in the 45th minute. That was the final opportunity of the third quarter, and the Golden Bears led 2-0 with one more quarter to play. The third-quarter stats saw the Golden Bears leading 10-1 in shots, 7-0 in shots on goal, and 6-0 in penalty corners. The Pioneers led 6-0 in saves.

The fourth and final quarter saw a change. The Pioneers had more possession of the ball and looked to score. They had an early opportunity with a penalty corner in the 48th minute. The Golden Bears would clear the ball without a problem after the penalty corner. They would send a shot in the direction of goal in each of the 52nd and 53rd minutes. Neither shot would test Newman in goal. Then, Smith College struck. Callahan Day had a shot saved by Ella Henry in the 54th minute. However, Laura Dreher was there to rebound the ball, send it back at the net, and score. The Pioneers cut the WNE lead to 2-1 with 6:10 remaining in the game. The momentum was shifting. Smith College had a shot and a penalty corner in the 55th minute.

The Golden Bears would rise to the opportunity, though. They had a shot blocked in the 56th minute. Then, a penalty corner and a shot go wide in the 56th minute. They would finish out the game with a penalty corner in the 58th minute and one in the 59th minute, as well. Then, Mackenna Cooke tested Newman one last time in the 59th minute. Newman made the save, and the Golden Bears would end the game with a 2-1 win over Smith College. The final stats showed WNE leading in shots 27-7, shots on goal 14-2, and penalty corners 13-3. The Pioneers led in saves 11-1, with one defensive save, as well.

Coach's Corner:

Head coach Kyle Lyons was asked what it took for the team to get the victory tonight. "I think the fact that we put together a 60-minute game and it was not like we let up at any point," Lyons stated. "Smith (College) is a great team. They play super fast, and I felt like we expected it; we knew what to expect, we stuck to the game plan. For Sarah getting her first goal (of the game) early in the game, we talked about just shooting, just getting the balls to the net, and I think it was just heart and grit and I felt we deserved that game. Again, with Smith (College) being a very strong opponent," Lyons added.

Goal-scorer Sarah Johnston was also asked about the team's performance and Johnston's goal. "Like coach said, we came out, full 60 minutes, and I think we had team defense and team attack. We were playing all together, connected the whole time. I think that's what made the difference, just being together on both sides of the field," Johnston mentioned.

Game-winning goal-scorer Haley Kaczka was asked to take us through what went through Kaczka's mind when Kaczka scored. "Going off what both coach and Sarah both said, we played such a full 60-minute game, and it was just a matter of finishing the play. The mids and forwards did such a good job in our attacking fifty getting those opportunities, so it was just a matter of me doing my job and doing it for my team, getting that extra point, and getting the win," Kaczka commented.

Inside the Lines:

• The Field Hockey team hosted Smith College on Wednesday evening.
• 11:04 – Sarah Johnston netted the game's first goal. The unassisted goal gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead.
• 44:05 – Haley Kaczka doubled the lead for the Golden Bears after an assist from Analise Trani. The Golden Bears led 2-0.
• 53:50 – Laura Dreher cut the Pioneers' deficit in half with an unassisted goal. The Golden Bears led 2-1.
• Emma Newman made eleven saves and let up two goals for the Pioneers.
• Ella Henry made one save and let up one goal for the Golden Bears.
• The Golden Bears won the game 2-1.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will be in Golden Bear Stadium on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 1:00 PM for their next game. They will host Husson University for their "Morgan's Message (Taking A Shot At Mental Health)" game.
• The Pioneers will travel to Babson Park, Massachusetts, for their next NESCAC gameday as they will play #6-ranked Babson College on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at noon.