Salve Regina looks to avenge early-season loss to UNE this Saturday

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University women's soccer team has earned the No. 5 seed in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Championship and will travel to Biddeford, Maine for a 3 p.m. match with No. 4 seed University of New England on Saturday, Oct. 30.

The Nor'easters have won eight of the previous 14 meetings between the two schools and ran their win streak against the Seahawks to three games with a 2-1 win earlier this season on their home field. Junior Alice Read (Auburn, Maine) and freshman Ellie Arsenault (Saco, Maine) scored for the Nor'easters while an own goal accounted for Salve Regina's marker.

Offensively, the Seahawks are led by junior Liz Galla (Beacon Falls, Conn.) (right) and sophomore Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) (below). Birrell leads the conference in goals (19) and points (44) and sits second with six game-winning goals while Galla is fourth in both goals (14) and points (36). In 13 conference games, Birrell racked up 31 points (13-5-31) to place third in TCCC while Galls sits fourth with 29 points (11-7-29). Freshman Jessica Lane (Marshfield, Mass.) made 14 starts between the posts and posted a 9-5 mark with a 1.91 goals against average (GAA) and a .733 save percentage.

"We are very excited to get another shot at playing UNE," said Seahawks head coach Kerri Scroope. "They were our first conference match of the season and feel we have grown tremendously as a team since then. We're ready to go."

The Nor'easters are led by junior goalkeeper Jess Woodworth (Concord, N.H.), who boasts a conference-leading 0.82 GAA and ranks second with an .841 save percentage. Against TCCC foes, Woodworth ranks fourth in both goals against average (0.98) and save percentage (.824). Junior Katie Caron (Winslow, Maine) and freshman Morgan Jensen (New Hartford, Conn.) each chalked up 19 points (8-3-19) to lead UNE while Read was next with 11 points (4-3-11).

In other TCCC Championship action on Saturday, No. 1 Roger Williams hosts No. 8 Gordon (1 p.m.), No. 2 Endicott hosts No. 8 Curry (1 p.m.), and No. 3 Western New England hosts No. 6 Nichols (11 a.m.).