Field hockey's efforts for revenge thwarted in 4-3 loss to UNE

Boxscore

Biddeford, Maine – Wednesday’s match up between Endicott College and the University of New England was a rematch of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) semifinals from 2009. The Gulls were looking to exact some revenge having lost last year’s contest in overtime, but the Nor’easters pulled off another close victory by winning 4-3. 

The Blue and Green slid to 7-5 overall, 2-2 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) while UNE improved to 6-4 (4-1 TCCC). 

Endicott got on the scoreboard first at 16:03 as senior \#Lindsey Mills\# (Arlington, Mass.) tipped an offering from outside the circle by \#Cara Hanrahan\# (Franklin, Tenn.) past Nor’easters goalie Ayla Nelson (Auburn, Mass.). For Mills, it was her fifth goal of the season to put the Gulls up 1-0 in the middle of the first half. It would be the only of the period. 

Less than two minutes into the second half, UNE’s Brianna Tupper (Winthrop, Mass.) evened the score off a penalty corner play with an assist from teammate Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.). Just over two minutes later Endicott sophomore \#Hannah Thornberg\# (Oakland, Maine) netted an unassisted tally to put the Gulls back up a goal. 

The Blue and Green remained ahead 2-1 for 18 minutes until the Nor’easters scored back-to-back goals that would give them the lead for the first time all game. At 57:09, Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine) scored her third goal of the year off a penalty corner assist from Michaela Franey (York, Maine). Shortly after that, Franey put the home team ahead with her team-leading 12th goal of the season with an assist from Tupper. 

Endicott’s Mills scored the equalizer with just under nine minutes remaining in the game as she hit a one-timer shot off an UNE turnover to even the score 3-3. At 65:41, UNE’s Hayley LaPointe (Topsham, Maine) netted the game-winning goal after collecting a rebound off Gulls goalie Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) to give the Nor’easters the 4-3 win. 

In the cage, Teixeira made eight saves and UNE’s Nelson also made eight saves while earning the victory. 

Endicott will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, October 9 at 11:00 am against North Shore TCCC rival Gordon College.