Nor'easters stay unbeaten in CCC play

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England field hockey team held its opponent scoreless for the fourth consecutive outing Tuesday evening (Oct. 22), recording a 3-0 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) victory over Salve Regina University at the Big Blue Turf.

After a 3-4 start to the season, Big Blue now stands at 11-5 overall and 9-0 in conference games. The Nor'easters have trumped the Seahawks (7-7, 5-4 CCC) in eight of the last nine meetings between the teams, including two wins by a combined 9-0 goal difference this year.

Senior Casey Clark (Franconia, N.H.), classmate Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.), and junior Erin Bibber (Charlton, Mass.) accounted for the UNE scoring on the night, while first-year Holly Smith (Peabody, Mass.) needed to make just one save between the pipes. Smith and the Big Blue defense have not surrendered a goal in more than 294 minutes of action.

Clark got the hosts on the board in the 5th minute, collecting a pass in the middle from senior Hayley LaPointe (Topsham, Maine) on the left and slotting a shot behind the goalie sliding towards the center of the cage.

Despite controlling the shots (32-5) and penalty corners (13-4) for the game, the UNE lead was still just one until the 62nd minute, when Tavella knocked in a feed from junior Hannah Warren (Harrison, Maine). Just four minutes earlier, Smith had denied Salve's best chance to get back in the game, reaching out with her stick to stop a mid-air shot by Seahawks sophomore Allison Gold (Greenlawn, N.Y.).

Bibber concluded the scoring with just under two minutes left in the contest, as LaPointe worked the ball down the right side to the endline and centered it to Bibber alone in front.

LaPointe upped her assist total on the year to 11 with the pair of helpers, equaling the program single-season record shared between Clark (2012) and Bree Tupper (2009).

The Nor'easters will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when Nichols College visits for a 1 p.m. match.

Salve Regina, which received 12 saves from junior Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.), travels to Endicott College the same day and time. The Seahawks bested the Gulls, 1-0, on October 2 at Gaudet Field.