Box Score BEVERLY, Mass. (April 5, 2025) – The Western New England women's lacrosse team would battle from behind for much of the game on Saturday afternoon against the Gulls of Endicott College but would not be able to overcome the hump, getting within three goals on more than one occasion but two goals in the final minute of the game would ice the game for Endicott, who defeated WNE by a final score of 15-9.
Records:
- Western New England: 3-8, 2-2 CNE
- Endicott College: 8-3, 4-0 CNE
How it Happened:
The Golden Bears came away with a win in the opening draw control of the game but would not be able to put the Gulls on their heels as Endicott's Annabelle Gray caused a turnover to deny a WNE scoring chance. Sayde Kowalczyk returned the favor on Endicott's next possession with a caused turnover of her own. The two teams would go back and forth with
Emily Picolla making the start and the first save of the game on a free position shot by the Gulls, keeping the score level. Just less than five minutes into the quarter, Endicott would get their first goal of the game as Bailey Sheehan would take advantage of a failed clear attempt by the Golden Bears and found the back of the net for the 24
th time on the year, giving EC a 1-0 lead. Just 59 seconds later, WNE would have the answer when
Mia Celentano picked up her 28
th of the season, evening the game at one. Endicott picked up the next two goals in the game, seeing Abbie Belleville scoring twice to quickly give Endicott a 3-1 lead. A free-position goal would stop the run as
Lina Eves came up with her 19
thgoal of the season with 5:28 to play. Western New England would continue to stay with the Gulls, getting a caused turnover by
Lyndsey Bunnell while the sophomore would move up the field and come up with the third goal of the game for the Golden Bears, tying the game at three. The Gulls picked up the final goal of the quarter to take a one goal lead, 4-3 after the first 15 minutes of play. The Gulls outshot WNE 9-5 in the first frame.
Ella Nish, Bunnell, and Kowalczyk picked up three caused turnovers in the opening frame.
Endicott would take control of much of the play in the second quarter and would exit with a four-goal lead, 8-4. Endicott's Mia Smith scored her 18
th of the season to begin a quick scoring run in the opening five minutes of the frame. Leah Black followed with her team-leading 28
th and 29
th goals of the season, quickly giving Endicott a 7-3 lead with still 10:33 left to play. WNE's offense would be stymied by the EC defense, as the Gulls caused three turnovers in the second quarter overall. With 3:22 to play in the quarter, Black would register her third of the afternoon to increase Endicott's lead to 8-3, their largest lead of the game to that point. WNE would pick up just one goal in the second quarter, coming with 2:44 left in it when
Mia Celentano picked up her second of the game, this time coming on a free position goal, getting the Golden Bears back within four, 8-4. One final chance for Western New England would be denied after
Lina Eves's shot was taken in and saved by Endicott's Payton Quirk. EC outshot WNE 7-5 in the frame.
Emily Picolla made two saves in the second overall.
The third quarter would start with the second of the game for
Lina Eves after WNE took the first draw control of the third quarter. Eves netted her 21
st goal of the season. Western New England picked up another chance right after the goal from Eves as
Mia Celentano would win the next draw control and smashed the post with a shot, keeping the Golden Bears down by three. Following the post shot, Endicott would storm back for the next three goals, beginning to pull away from the Golden Bears as the game moved into the midway point of the third quarter, leading 11-5 with 9:07 to play. Following a timeout by the Golden Bears, Western New England would turn up their offense getting the third goal of the afternoon by
Lina Eves and the seventh of the season from
Abbey Francis to get right back into the game, trailing just 11-7 with 6:12 remaining. Both teams would have their chances to come away with the next goal, an important one in the contest. A big save with 1:47 from Picolla would give Western New England a successful clear attempt followed by the second of the game from
Lyndsey Bunnell on an assist from
Mia Celentano, the first assist from the Golden Bears in the game, getting back within three for the first time since the beginning of the quarter, trailing 11-8. Western New England had the final three goals of the quarter overall. The quarter featured eight shots by Western New England overall, four of which found twine. Draw controls would favor WNE 5-3 while two of the four goals came on free-position shots for the Golden Bears.
The Gulls had the opening goal of the fourth quarter as the leading goal-scorer in the game Leah Black picked up her 30
th of the season and fourth overall in the game to give Endicott their four-goal lead back, taking a 12-8 advantage.
Emily Picolla would keep the Golden Bears in the game, making five saves through the midway point of the fourth quarter as the Gulls continued to hold onto their four-goal lead. WNE would have just one shot in the fourth quarter with five minutes remaining. Following a turnover by the Gulls, Western New England's second shot of the frame would find the back of the net with
Mia Celentano netting her third of the game and 30
th for the season to get WNE back within three again. The Gulls struck again after winning the ensuing draw control with Grace McAfee finding the back of the net, giving Endicott a 13-9 lead. Endicott's Payton Quirk came away with two big saves in the final two minutes of the game while the Gulls would pull away from the Golden Bears, defeating Western New England 15-9.
Inside the Lines:
- After picking up a career-high 17 saves in her last time out in non-conference action against Worcester State, Emily Picolla shined between the pipes again for WNE, coming up with 13 saves in the game.
- Mia Celentano picked up four points in the game, three goals and an assist. Celentano's three goals put her at 30 for the season.
- Lina Eves also fired home three goals for the Golden Bears, taking six shots and putting four on goal while scooping one ground ball.
- Endicott outshot WNE 41-22 in the game. The Gulls caused 17 turnovers on 24 possible turnovers by the Golden Bears. Endicott turned the ball over 15 times in the game.
- After a push in the third quarter, the Golden Bears would be outscored 4-1 in the final quarter to fall just short.
- WNE falls for the 12th straight time to Endicott overall. The six-goal loss is the closest game since 2022 in a home 17-13 loss.
- The Golden Bears fall to 0-5 on the road this season.
Up Next on the Schedule:
- Western New England hosts Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday, April 9 at 4:00 PM.
