Western New England Takes Top Spot in CCC Standings with 7-5 Triumph at Endicott

Senior Steve Kerr's 12-save effort helped Western New England secure a 7-5 victory at Endicott on Saturday. (Photo by Rachael Margossian)

Kerr finishes with 12 saves, Beauchamp leads offense with three goals

BEVERLY, Mass. (April 7, 2018) – The Western New England University men's lacrosse team claimed sole possession of first place in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) standings with a 7-5 victory over Endicott College on Saturday afternoon at Hempstead Stadium. 

Top Performers
• Senior midfielder Nicholas Beauchamp (Wilbraham, Mass.) led the way for the Golden Bears, scoring three goals to go with an assist.
• Junior attackman Jared Ward (Littleton, Mass.) contributed two goals, while senior Mikey Wood (Southborough, Mass.) and sophomore Nick Gamba (East Islip, N.Y.) chipped in with one each.
• Senior goalie Steven Kerr (Hopkinton, Mass.) was strong in the cage, finishing with 12 saves on 17 shots.

• Endicott freshman Jack Sutherland (Sudbury, Mass.) factored into three of the Gulls' five goals, as he scored two and assisted on another.
• Junior goalie Patrick Dean (Westhampton, N.Y.) was able to turn away 21 of the 28 shots that he faced.

Game Review
After nearly 15 minutes of scoreless action, Western New England capitalized on an Endicott penalty to claim a 1-0 lead as Beauchamp buried a man-up goal at the first quarter buzzer.

The two teams went back and forth in the second quarter, as sophomore Will Clark (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) equalized for the Gulls at the 13:06 mark before Wood put the Golden Bears back in front on a feed from junior Tim Breau (Lima, N.Y.) with just under ten minutes remaining in the half.

Endicott tied the contest for the second time on an unassisted strike from Sutherland 1:21 later, but Beauchamp set up Ward with 6:16 on the clock to give Western New England a 3-2 edge.

The Golden Bears led by the same margin at the break, before establishing their first two-score lead (4-2) 2:23 into the third quarter when Gamba tallied his 18^th goal of the season on an assist from freshman Matthew Greer (South Windsor, Conn.).

Endicott was able to cut its deficit to one on two occasions later in the period, but Beauchamp restored Western New England's two-goal advantage (6-4) with 38 seconds remaining in the third.

Beauchamp then completed his hat trick with just under four minutes left in regulation to give the Golden Bears a three-score cushion. The Western New England defense finished the job, limiting the Gulls to one final goal from Sutherland at the 2:26 mark to seal the key victory.

Notes
• Western New England held advantages in both shots (40-33) and ground balls (28-19).
• Junior Hunter Cocks (Walden, N.Y.) won 8-of-14 faceoffs and scooped up four ground balls.
• Kerr has recorded 10+ saves eight times this season. His 141 total stops this spring lead the CCC.

Up Next
Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday at 7 p.m., as Western New England (7-5, 4-0 CCC) returns home to host Nichols and Endicott (3-7, 3-1 CCC) welcomes Tufts to Beverly for a non-conference contest.

Western New England Posts 8-1 Non-Conference Victory over Johnson & Wales

Photo by Rachael Margossian

Golden Bears extend winning streak to four matches

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 5, 2018) – The Western New England University men's tennis team posted an 8-1, non-conference victory over Johnson & Wales University on Thursday afternoon on the campus of Rhode Island College.

The Golden Bears won all three doubles flights and five of six singles positions en route to their fourth consecutive triumph.

Western New England's No. 1 doubles duo of sophomore David Kalmer (Slingerlands, N.Y.) and junior Justin Kohut (South Windsor, Conn.) registered an 8-4 victory over Gianni Rodriguez and Ryan Schiele, while sophomore Luke Surawski (Wethersfield, Conn.) and freshman Max Gordon (Middleton, Mass.) cruised to an 8-1 win over Gunner Mahoney and Jack Hopkins at No. 2.

In the final doubles spot, freshmen Peter Stegemann (Falmouth, Maine) and Matthew Russell (Auburn, Mass.) teamed up to defeat Marco Saldierna and Robert Michalofsky, 8-2.

Kalmer topped Schiele 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, and Surawski earned a 6-3, 6-4 result over Rodriguez at No 2.

Mahoney picked up the Wildcats' lone point of the match as he edged Stegemann 6-1, 2-6, 10-2 at No. 3.

Rounding out the final three singles positions, Gordon beat Alexander Rohana 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 at No. 4, junior Michael Tran (West Haven, Conn.) won 6-1, 6-4 over Hopkins at No. 5, and sophomore Griffin Arnold (Meriden, Conn.) recorded a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Saldierna at No. 6.

Up Next
Western New England (6-1, 1-0 CCC) resumes conference play on Saturday, as the Golden Bears host Roger Williams at noon before traveling to Curry on Sunday. Johnson & Wales (0-3) will also be in action on Saturday against Suffolk.

Game Two Walk-off Win Highlights Western New England’s Sweep of Gordon

Senior Jenn Luba hit a three-run home run in the first game of Western New England's doubleheader sweep over Gordon on Thursday. (Photo by Courtney Carlson)

Golden Bears extend winning streak to six games

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 5, 2018) – The Western New England University softball team climbed above .500 for the first time this season with a pair of wins over Gordon College on Thursday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Golden Bear Park.

Western New England held off the Fighting Scots 4-2 in the opener, before walking off with a 7-6 triumph in the nightcap.

Western New England 4, Gordon 2

Top Performers
• Senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) provided the big hit in game one, as her three-run home run in the first inning proved to be the difference in the contest.
• Freshman Cassidy Howe (North Andover, Mass.) went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) walked twice and scored a run.
• Sophomore Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) struck out seven batters and allowed two unearned runs over 6.2 innings to improve to 4-3 this season, before Kistner came on to get the final out and earn her second save.

• Gordon senior Sarah Ryder (Telford, Pa.) went 1-for-3 with one RBI, while junior Rose Shannon

Offense Breaks Out as Golden Bears Cruise Past Wentworth, 21-8

Recap, photo courtesy of Western New England University

Breen records career-high seven points with five goals and two assists

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 4, 2018) – The Western New England University women's lacrosse team utilized 12 different goal scorers in a 21-8 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Golden Bear Stadium. 

Top Performers
• Junior attack Kristen Breen (Ellington, Conn.) led Western New England's offensive outburst with a career-high seven points on five goals and two assists. Breen also scooped up a team-high five ground balls and caused two turnovers.
• Sophomore defender Olivia Truenow (Franklin, Mass.) registered a hat trick to go with four ground balls, while sophomore Lindsey Phillips (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and freshmen Danielle Skates (Berlin, Conn.) and Reilly Miller (Goshen, N.Y.) chipped in with two goals each.
• Sophomore Eileen Ruby (New Fairfield, Conn.) turned in a strong all-around performance with one goal, two assists, a game-high eight draw controls and two ground balls.

• Wentworth junior Brooke Paradis (Pelham, N.H.) paced the Leopards with three goals, one assist, four ground balls, two draws and two caused turnovers.
• Freshman Emily Rogers (Pembroke, Mass.) secured a team-high six draws and also contributed one goal and two assists.

Game Review
Western New England established a 4-1 lead just over six minutes into the contest as Breen, Skates, junior Rebecca Allen (Franklin, Mass.) and freshman Ashley Hudson (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) all scored for the Golden Bears.

Paradis tallied consecutive goals at 23:16 and 21:31 to cut Wentworth's deficit to one (4-3), but Western New England responded with a 3-0 run to stretch its advantage to four (7-3) with 16:40 remaining in the half.

The Golden Bears led by the same margin (10-6) at the break, as the two teams scored three goals each over the final ten minutes of the period.

Sophomore Julie Dam (Milford, Mass.) notched her seventh goal of the season three minutes into the second half to draw Wentworth to within three (10-7), but the Leopards would get no closer.

Skates scored on a feed from Breen at the 22:56 mark, sparking a 5-0 run over the next 3:38 that saw the Golden Bears open up a 15-7 lead with 19:18 on the clock.

Junior Leah Cummins (Plymouth, Mass.) capped the scoring for the Leopards at the 17:31 mark, before the Golden Bears closed out the contest with six unanswered goals.

Notes
• The Golden Bears outshot the Leopards 48-24 and held a 21-10 advantage in draw controls.
• Western New England senior Shannon McFadden (West Islip, N.Y.) and freshman Kaitlyn Marchant (Londonderry, N.H.) split the goalkeeping duties, making a combined eight saves.
• Western New England established season-highs for goals, assists, shots, ground balls, draw controls and clears in the contest. 

Up Next
Western New England (2-8, 2-1 CCC) will be on the road Saturday at Endicott College, while Wentworth (4-5, 1-2 CCC) travels to Maine Farmington on Sunday.

Western New England Remains Unbeaten in CCC Play with 11-9 Win over Wentworth

Sophomore Nick Gamba's goal late in the fourth quarter was the difference in Western New England's 11-9 victory over Wentworth on Wednesday night. (Photo by Rachael Margossian)

Gamba & Ward lead Golden Bears with four points each

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 4, 2018) – Sophomore midfielder Nick Gamba (East Islip, N.Y.) scored the go-ahead goal with 3:38 remaining in regulation as the Western New England University men's lacrosse team secured an 11-9 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday evening at Golden Bear Stadium. 

Top Performers
• Gamba and junior attackman Jared Ward (Littleton, Mass.) fueled the Western New England offense with three goals and one assist each.
• Junior Hunter Cocks (Walden, N.Y.) was dominant at the faceoff X, going 19-for-23 and collecting a game-high 16 ground balls.
• Senior goalie Steven Kerr (Hopkinton, Mass.) made nine saves, including three in the fourth quarter to help preserve the win.

• Wentworth senior midfielder Kevin Butler (Jefferson, Mass.) powered the Leopards with a game-high four goals, while sophomore Kyle Doner (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) chipped in with two.  
• Senior goalie Scott Boucher (Salisbury, N.H.) finished with 11 saves on 22 shots.

Game Review
Western New England had no trouble scoring early, as the Golden Bears opened up a 3-0 lead three minutes into the contest with goals from Gamba and seniors Nicholas Beauchamp (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Mikey Wood (Southborough, Mass.).

Butler got the Leopards on the board at the 5:13 mark and Doner made it a one-goal game (3-2) with an unassisted strike with 57 seconds left in the opening quarter, but Ward found the back of the cage with five seconds on the clock to give the Golden Bears a 4-2 lead heading into the second period.

Butler's second goal of the game early in the second quarter cut Wentworth's deficit to one, before junior Zach Tomaszek (Milford, Conn.) equalized for the Leopards at the 6:45 mark.

Beauchamp put the Golden Bears back ahead (5-4) with 3:24 remaining, but Butler tallied his third goal of the night just under two minutes later to knot the score heading into the break.

Western New England outscored Wentworth 4-2 in the third quarter as Gamba's unassisted tally at the 1:31 mark gave the Golden Bears a 9-7 advantage.

The Leopards battled back, however, pulling to within one on a goal by junior Jacob Eldred (Goffstown, N.H.) early in the final period before tying the contest for the fourth and final time when freshman Jack O'Neill (Groton, Mass.) beat Kerr with 4:52 to play.

Freshman Conner Cronin (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) set up Gamba for the go-ahead goal at the 3:38 mark, and Ward buried an insurance tally with 34 seconds on the clock to seal the triumph.

Notes
• The Golden Bears outshot the Leopards 36-28 and held a 38-20 ground ball advantage.
• Western New England was a perfect 14-for-14 in clear attempts.
• Gamba has recorded multiple points in eight straight contests. His 32 points this season rank third on the team and 15^th in the CCC.

Up Next
Western New England (6-5, 3-0 CCC) travels to Endicott on Saturday for a CCC showdown with the Gulls, while Wentworth (6-4, 1-3 CCC) returns home to host Salve Regina next Tuesday.

Golden Bears Open CCC Play with Two Wins over Curry

Sophomore Aimee Kistner struck out a career-high ten batters in the second game of Western New England's CCC-opening sweep against Curry on Saturday. (Photo by Eddy Maldonado)

Uliase & Kistner post dominant pitching performances for Western New England

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 31, 2018) – The Western New England University softball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a pair of victories over Curry College on Saturday afternoon at Golden Bear Park. Western New England rolled to a 10-0, five-inning triumph in the opener, before completing the doubleheader sweep with a 2-0 win in game two. 

Western New England 10, Curry 0 (5 Innings)

Top Performers
• Senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) led Western New England's 15-hit outburst, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
• Sophomore catcher Mallory Donelan (Mineola, N.Y.) also posted a 3-for-3 effort with one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) and freshman Cassidy Howe (North Andover, Mass.) recorded two hits each.
• Sophomore Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) got the start in the circle and improved to 3-3 this season after striking out three batters and allowing just one hit over four innings of work.

• Freshman Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) and senior Carolyn Lynch (Ipswich, Mass.) tallied one hit each for the Colonels.  

Game Review
Western New England's offense was rolling from the outset of the contest, as the Golden Bears plated three runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Howe, Luba and sophomore Carlie Moss (Delmar, N.Y.) all recorded RBI singles off Curry senior pitcher Rebecca Black (East Greenwich, R.I.).

The Golden Bears extended their advantage to 7-0 with four runs the following inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Howe singled to center field, scoring Donelan. Luba followed with an RBI double, before sophomore Tori Fisher (Poestenkill, N.Y.) capped the scoring in the frame with a two-run single to left field.

Western New England tacked on three more runs in the fourth, and senior pitcher Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) came on to get the final three outs as the Golden Bears secured their first run-rule victory of the season.

Western New England 2, Curry 0

Top Performers
• Kistner was a key contributor both at the plate and in the circle in game two. She struck out a career-high ten batters and surrendered just one hit during a complete shutout game pitching performance, while also going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.

• Curry senior Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.) accounted for the Colonels' lone hit with her fifth inning leadoff single.

Game Review
After two scoreless frames, the Golden Bears put the only two runs of the game on the board in the third inning.

Curry senior pitcher Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) retired the first two batters in order, but senior Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) singled to keep the inning alive.

Kistner came up next and delivered an RBI double to right center field, and the sophomore advanced to third before coming in to score on a dropped fly ball in right field.

Kistner allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way as the Golden Bears completed the sweep.

Up Next
Western New England (6-6, 2-0 CCC) will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon, when the Golden Bears host Keene State for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. Curry (2-12, 0-4 CCC) travels to Wheelock on Monday.

Recap courtesy of Western New England.