WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 24, 2024) – The second-seeded Western New England women's ice hockey team will advance to the CCC Championship game for the first time in program history after defeating the third-seeded Nor'easters of the University of New England by a final score of 2-1. Alyssa Murphy came away with both goals for the Golden Bears in the win.

Records:

• 2 Western New England: 16-7-3
• 3 University of New England: 10-13-3

How it Happened:

The visiting Nor'easters came away with ten of the first 15 shots in the first period, coming away with the better of the chances in the opening 20 minutes. Piper Desorcie led the Nor'easters with three shots on goal in the opening frame, while Western New England's senior goalkeeper, Rieley Jessie-Gerelli, would come around with all ten saves to help keep the fighting Nor'easters off the scoreboard in the first period. Five different Golden Bears would take a shot in the first period, with Alyssa Murphy, Kelly Yorkey, Jenna Lynch, Katie Cronin, and Maddy Tucker taking shots on UNE keeper Delanie Corcoran, though nothing would get past the UNE 'keeper as the first period would go by with no score on the board.

The Golden Bears would break the scoreless game at the 7:21 mark of the second period after UNE's Emily Long was assessed a roughing minor, which gave the Golden Bears a powerplay opportunity. UNE would kill off the first 30 seconds of the powerplay, though the Golden Bears would go coast-to-coast after Rieley. Jessie-Gerelli would set the puck up for Kelly Yorkey, Yorkey would skate the puck into the zone and make a pass down the left wing for Alyssa Murphy. There, the senior would get into a scoring position and lift a shot into the top right corner of the net that gave Western New England a 1-0 lead. Less than six minutes later, the Nor'easters would dash toward the front of the goal and would even the score at one, getting their first goal against the Golden Bears in over two full games of action. Piper Desorcie would open the scoring for UNE on assists from Mia LaPlante and Hannah Humes. The Golden Bears would find their skating game again late in the second period, though could not come away with the go-ahead goal in the period after outshooting the Nor'easters 17–13 in the period. Jessie-Gerelli came away with 12 saves in the second period, while UNE's Corcoran made 16 saves in the second period.

Western New England wasted little time to get on the scoreboard and take their second lead of the game in the third period when Alyssa Murphy was back on the scoreboard again. The senior received a pass from Allison Walker and moved in on the UNE defense and took a wrist shot from the tops of the circles in the WNE offensive zone and put the shot up and over the glove of Corcoran and into the back of the net, giving Western New England a 2-1 lead. Western New England would not slow down on offense, grabbing a sequence of shots at the midway point of the third period, with Maddy Tucker, Zoe Galanoudis, Jenna Lynch, and Sydney Conte all coming away with chances for the Golden Bears, though the UNE defense, along with their goalie, would stay strong and hold Western New England off the scoreboard. The Nor'easters would come away with the majority of the pressure after that sequence from Western New England, with Rieley Jessie-Gerelli staying strong and holding UNE off the scoreboard. The Nor'easters would pull their goalie with a minute left in the third period and would come away with two shots on goal following that, though Jessie-Gerelli stood tall, making 35 total saves on the night. The Golden Bears would come away with the victory, winning their first ever CCC semifinal game in program history, and will advance to the CCC championship game for the first time in program history.

 Inside the Crease:

• Alyssa Murphy's two goals, one in the second period and one in the third period, lifted Western New England to a 2-1 win over UNE.
• Western New England came into the game as the two-seed in the CCC tournament, while UNE came in as the three-seed.
• Kelly Yorkey, Allison Walker, and Rieley Jessie-Gerelli came away with assists for WNE in the win.
• The WNE senior goalie made 35 saves in the win, including 13 third-period saves, to send Western New England to the CCC Championship game.
• Zoe Galanoudis won two-thirds of her faceoffs, going 12/18 on the night.
• Each team recorded double digits in blocked shots, with UNE grabbing 15 and WNE taking in 12.
• WNE was 1/4 on the powerplay on the night, while UNE went 0/1.
• UNE sees its season end with a 10-13-3 record. The Nor'easters graduate five seniors, Ruby McCall, Eliana Kane, Piper Desorcie, and Delanie Corcoran, and one graduate student, Mia LaPlante. Congratulations on outstanding careers, Nor'easters!

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England will host the CCC Championship game on Saturday, March 2, at 7:00 p.m. after top-seeded Endicott was upset on home ice earlier this afternoon by No. 5 Curry College. The Golden Bears and Colonels will meet for the first time in the CCC Championship game. The game will be played at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts.