Dudley, Mass. (September 20, 2024) – WNE traveled to Dudley, Massachusetts, for their first conference showdown of the season. They took on the Nichols College Bison on Friday night. The Golden Bears would jump to a 1-0 lead early, thanks to Sarah Johnston. However, the Bison would even it at one before Tessa Ebreo gave the Golden Bears the lead late in the first half. The Golden Bears did not look back after that. Kayla Antonelli and Haley Kaczka netted a goal each in the third quarter to extend the Golden Bears' lead, and WNE won the conference game 4-1.

Records:

• Western New England: 3-4 (0-0)
• Nichols College: 2-6 (0-0)

How it Happened:

The starting goalkeepers for the conference showdown were Sophia Venable and Zoey Wexler for the Bison and Golden Bears, respectively. The Golden Bears shrugged off their last few games pretty quickly with early pressure. They had a penalty corner and a shot blocked within the first minute and a half. They had a penalty corner, and a shot hit the post in the 6th minute. Then, in the eighth minute of play, Amanda Burns slapped a pass from the right side of the field towards the goal. Sarah Johnston tipped the ball into the back of the net, and the Golden Bears led 1-0. The Golden Bears would control the rest of the first quarter. They had three more penalty corners and two more shots in the quarter. One of the shots was taken by Tessa Ebreo, who sent the ball at goal. However, Venable made the save. The quarter would end with the Golden Bears controlling much of the possession and having all of the major opportunities. They led 1-0 after the first quarter. The stats showed the Golden Bears leading in shots 5-0, shots on goal 2-0, and penalty corners 5-0. The Bison led in fouls 3-1 and saves 1-0.

The second quarter began similarly to the first. The Golden Bears controlled possession. They had two penalty corners and three shots in the first 6:30 of the second. Venable had to make a save to keep the Bison deficit at one. The Golden Bears had another penalty corner and two shots after that and continued to control the game. That was until the Bison flipped the field quickly, and Kaelyn Casper sent a powerful shot past the WNE goalie to even the game 1-1 in the 25th minute of play. The Golden Bears would not drop their heads. They attacked the rest of the first half. They had a penalty corner, a shot saved by Venable, another penalty corner, and then, in the 28th minute, Tessa Ebreo gave the Golden Bears the lead back. After a penalty corner taken by Ebreo, the ball was sent into a scrum in front of the goal. Ebreo was there and sent the ball into the goal, and the Golden Bears led 2-1 at the half. The first-half stats saw the Golden Bears leading 12-1 in shots, 5-1 in shots on goal, and 11-0 in penalty corners. The Bison led 4-1 in fouls and 3-0 in saves.

The third quarter began with Ella Henry in goal for the Golden Bears. The Golden Bears wasted no time doubling their lead. 1:01 into the second half, Sarah Johnston dribbled around multiple defenders and found Kara Edwards on the right side of the goal. Edwards fed a pass to Kayla Antonelli in front of the goal, and Antonelli scored. The Golden Bears led 3-1. The Bison quickly answered with a shot that went wide and a penalty corner. The teams traded possession for a little while before the Golden Bears applied more pressure to the Bison. They had two more penalty corners, and a shot was saved by Venable. Then, in the 40th minute, Tessa Ebreo took a penalty corner for the Golden Bears. Ebreo found Haley Kaczka with a pass, and Kaczka found the back of the goal to triple the Golden Bear lead. The score was 4-1, WNE. The Bison responded by driving the play down to the Golden Bears' defensive zone. They had three consecutive penalty corners before WNE flipped the script for most of the final minutes of the third quarter. They had two penalty corners and three shots. Two of the shots forced Venable to make a save. The Bison finished the quarter with a penalty corner and a shot, but it did not test Henry in goal. The third quarter ended with the Golden Bears leading 4-1. The Golden Bears led in shots 6-2 and shots on goal 5-0 in the third quarter. Both teams had five penalty corners and no fouls. The Bison led 3-0 in saves.

The Golden Bears would begin the fourth quarter with pressure. They had two shots, with one testing Venable. The shot was saved. Then, they had a stretch of time that lasted almost 2:30 and saw the Golden Bears earn seven penalty corners and take four shots. One of the shots had to be saved. The teams traded possession and a shot in the ensuing minutes. Neither team would net a goal. The Golden Bears finished the game with two penalty corners and two shots. One of which had to be saved by Venable and was. The game would conclude shortly after the save, and the Golden Bears were victorious in their first conference game of the 2024 season, 4-1. The final stats saw the Golden Bears lead 27-4 in shots, 14-1 in shots on goal, and 25-5 in penalty corners. The Bison led 4-1 in fouls and 10-0 in saves.

Tessa Ebreo was how Ebreo felt after scoring a first career Golden Bear goal, and how Ebreo felt about the overall performance (1 goal and 1 assist). "There's no other team I'd rather be a part of and have my first career goal with," Ebreo stated. "Overall, I'm proud of my performance and am glad I could produce for the team in the attacking circle. Corners are huge part of our game, and whether a goal or an assist from an insert, I'm glad I could help get it done."
 

Inside the Lines:

• The Golden Bears traveled to Nichols College for their first CNE game of the 2024 season.
• 7:33 - Sarah Johnston netted the opening goal of the contest. Amanda Burns was credited with the assist. The Golden Bears led 1-0.
• 24:48 - Kaelyn Casper tied the game at one goal per side with an unassisted goal. The game was tied 1-1.
• 27:20 - Tessa Ebreo regifted the Golden Bears the lead with a goal assisted by Mackenna Cooke. The Golden Bears led 2-1.
• 31:01 - Kayla Antonelli doubled the Golden Bears' lead early in the second half. Sarah Johnston and Kara Edwards were credited with the assists. The Golden Bears led 3-1.
• 39:45 – Haley Kaczka tripled the Golden Bears' lead with a goal assisted by Tessa Ebreo. The Golden Bears now led 4-1.
• Sophia Venable made ten saves and faced fourteen shots.
• Zoey Wexler and Ella Henry let up one goal and earned the win for the Golden Bears.
• The Golden Bears won the game 4-1.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE will return to campus for their second home game of the season. They will host their cross-town rivals, Springfield College, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 4:00 PM.
• The Bison will travel to Newport, R.I., for their next game against Salve Regina University. That game will be on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 6:30 PM.