WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 13, 2026) - Western New England women's ice hockey sophomore Mabel Gerard found the back of the net three times on Tuesday afternoon in a 4-1 Conference of New England victory over Johnson & Wales University from the Olympia Ice Center, her first career hat trick. 

Records:

• Western New England: 8-6-0, 6-3-0 CNE
• Johnson & Wales University: 6-7-0, 4-4-0 CNE

How it Happened:

First Period:

• It took the Golden Bears just over four minutes into the first period to start scoring when Mabel Gerard found her first goal of the game. Alana Bouthillette's pass to the front of the net found Kaylin O'Connor, who spun around and took a backhanded shot that was saved by JWU's Katelyn Cardoso, but a rebound chance was shoved home by Gerard, who scored her sixth goal of the season, giving Western New England the early 1-0 lead. 
• The Golden Bears were all over the offensive attack in the first ten minutes, forcing Cardoso to make timely saves. Gerard was back on the score sheet at the midway point of the opening period. After the Golden Bears won a board battle from JWU, Leah Dube's pass was made to Maddie Pope, who then sprung Gerard up for a partial breakaway, who took a blistering wrist shot that found the back of the net, giving Western New England a 2-0 lead for Gerard's team-leading seventh goal of the season. 
• Johnson & Wales had their best chance at the 10:29 mark of the opening period when Ashley Beregeron was robbed by Rachael Irving on a shot in close as Irving made every save in the opening 20 minutes. JWU had the first power play of the first period, taking two shots on goal. With 1:05 remaining in the first, Jenna Lynch found a loose puck in front of the goal as Maddie Pope centered the puck in front of a wide-open Lynch, who found her fourth goal of the season, giving WNE a 3-0 lead at the end of the first frame. 
• Western New England took 11 shots on goal in the opening 20, while JWU put together seven overall. 

Second Period:

• No goals came about in the second period as Western New England held onto its 3-0 lead after 40 minutes of action. The first Western New England power play came at the 6:47 mark of the second period, where the Golden Bears generated two shots on goal, one from Gerard and another from Ziya Damas, but could not add to their goal total. 
• Johnson & Wales, which has scored just one power play goal this season, picked up their second power play chance of the game at the 13:23 mark of the second period, which produced two shots on goal, but could not get the puck past Irving. 
• The final five minutes following the WNE penalty kill were dominated by Western New England's offense, though kept off the scoreboard following the play of Cardoso, still leading 3-0 after 40 minutes of play. Cardoso made 18 saves in the second period while Irving picked up 13 overall. 

Third Period:

• WNE pushed for an extra goal to put the game away in the opening four minutes of the third period, taking eight shots, putting a pair on goal, taken in by Cardoso. At exactly the five-minute mark of the third period, Western New England found that goal they were looking for as Mabel Gerard scored her third goal of the game, picking up her first career hat trick in the process, adding to WNE's lead, making it 4-0 in favor of the home team. 
• JWU found some offense following the third of the afternoon from Gerard as Kylie O'Keefe and Allyson Barry had chances at Irving's goal, but did not find twine as the Golden Bears kept JWU from scoring. The third period went up and down the ice with neither team able to score.
• Western New England had a five-on-three with less than five minutes remaining in the third period, generating three shots, not able to score. JWU then got their third chance on the power play and were able to find the back of the net with 35 seconds remaining when Ava Morgan scored her first goal of the season on assists from Ashley Bergeron and Kylie O'Keefe, breaking Irving's shutout with 35 seconds remaining in the game. Western New England went on to win the game by a final score of 4-1. 

Inside the Lines:

• Mabel Gerard's second career multi-goal outing and first career hat trick led WNE to a 4-1 victory in CNE action on Tuesday afternoon. Gerard had seven total shots, putting six on goal, and was 16/18 in the faceoff circle. 
• Maddie Pope picked up two assists for Western New England on the day. 
• Leah Dube, Kaylin O'Connor, Alana Bouthillette, Jenna Lynch, and Lilly Ainley all had a point in the win. 
• Rachael Irving made 31 saves for Western New England on 32 JWU shot attempts.
• The Golden Bears put 38 shots on goal in the game and registered 71 total shot attempts. JWU blocked 18 of WNE's shot attempts. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The two teams will meet again on Friday, January 16, at 6:00 PM for a rematch in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, at Lynch Arena.