And It's Over

The 2008-2009 UNE Athletics year is officially over. With both the Men's and Women's Lacrosse team losing in the TCCC Tournament, we will have to wait until the fall to get the ball rolling again. The laxers each faced tough opponents, and unfortunately could not come out on top.
The Women traveled to Roger Williams University to faced the second seeded Seahawks. RWU was on a nine game winning streak heading into the game, and they extended it yesterday with a 21-8 victory to advance in the tournament. After a close first half, UNE trailed 10-6, the Seahawks picked up the pace in the second outscoring the Nor'easters 11-2. Roger Williams peppered the net all game, launching 40 shots, and limited UNE to just 23. Amanda Barker and Kate McCarter led the UNE offense, each scoring two goals. Also, junior Mallory Long had a goal and an assist for the blue and white. This was a tough season for the Nor'easters, but they will have a lot of experience coming back as they are only graduation two seniors, Amanda Barker and Erica Johnson.
The Men traveled to Springfield, MA last night to play a game under the lights versus Western New England College. The Golden Bears, the twelfth ranked team in the country, dominated this came from the opening face-off. WNEC scored the first eleven goals of the contest, including ten in the first quarter. UNE finally got on the board as Luke DiFiore found the back of the net with ten minutes left in the first half. However, UNE could not get any momentum and the Golden Bears sailed to a 17-5 victory to advance in the TCCC Tournament. DiFiore had two goals, while Mike Woods had a goal and as assist to lead the Nor'easters offense.
This was the most successful Men's Lacrosse team in UNE history finishing with a 6-10 record. The team has a solid core coming back including five of the top six scorers. Unfortunately, Dan Leyden, who has been one of the greatest UNE lacrosse players in program history, will be lost to graduation. His shoes will be hard to fill, but this year's talented freshman class along with the recruits for next season, be sure to expect that the Nor'easters will build on this season. Other seniors that will be graduating from this years squad include Mike Nawrocki, Andy Briggs, Bobby Labbe, Eric Santos, Paris Mansmann, Dan Leyden, and Evan Xanthos. Good luck boys.

Heartbreaker...Again

Losing in the playoffs can leave a sour taste in your mouth; A taste that you cannot rid until the following year. 361 days ago, Nichols College ousted UNE out of the TCCC Tournament in an 11-10 heartbreak. Yesterday, UNE went seeking revenge as the two teams squared off in the playoffs once again, this time in Biddeford.
This game was back-and-forth all game long. UNE scored in the first, Nichols scored in the second. Nichols scored in the fourth, UNE scored in the fifth. Nichols scored three in the sixth; UNE could only scored one, once again ending the season with the sour taste of defeat.
An unusual game, the two teams combined for 21 hits and 20 strikeouts. The big difference was in the sixth inning. UNE lead 4-3 heading into the top of the sixth. The Bison had two runners in scoring position with two outs. Nichols center fielder Lauren Correia grounded to third and was called safe at first, a call that should have gone the other way and ended the threat. Correia was safe, and the tying run came across the plate. The next batter drove a deep double to center, scoring two more, and giving Nichols a lead that they would not relinquish.
The Nor'easters only answer in the sixth was a solo home run off the bat of junior Carolyn Engwer. Neither team could muster any more runs in the seventh, giving Nichols the 6-5 victory, and knocking out the Nor'easters for the second straight season.
Seniors Megan Gaedje and Ashley Depasquale led the offense for the Nor'easters in their final game in blue and white. Gaedje had two hits and scored a run, along with hosing down a Nichols runner at the plate. Depasquale had three hits, including two doubles and knocked in two runs.
The Nor'easters will have a solid core coming back next season, as they will only lose four seniors. And you can bet that they are already anxious to get that sour taste out of their mouth.

What a Difference a Week Makes

Last weekend was a bad one. It was filled with wind, rain, and the most bothersome of them all, losses. Both the Men's and Women's Lacrosse team fell, and the Softball team lost twice at home. But it was proved once again that time fixes everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but it sure helps.
All three spring sports teams earned their way to The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament. This brings the total to twelve teams from UNE to make the dance in their respective sport.
The Men's and Women's Lacrosse team punched their ticket to the extended season on Saturday, as both teams toppled Nichols College. The Women will be faced with a rematch from last year's tournament, where they fell to Roger Williams 12-10. Roger Williams is the second-seeded team in the tournament, while UNE is the seventh seed.
The victory for the Men set some history, as it is the first time in program history to play in the playoffs. The Softball team split against Roger Williams on Saturday, claiming the sixth seed, and having to play in a play-in game against Nichols today in Biddeford.
The Women's Lacrosse team capped their weekend with an 11-6 victory. The Nor'easters hopped out to a 3-0 start and never looked back. Senior Amanda Barker lead the offense with four goals and an assist, while junior Kate McCarter finished with two and one. Nichols brought the deficit back to one goal five times, but UNE always answered with a goal of their own, including four unanswered in the final 18 minutes. Junior goalie, Tara Geraghty made ten saves four the Nor'easters.
UNE will now prepare for a road tournament game, traveling to Roger Williams tomorrow. RWU crushed UNE just ten days ago with a 21-9 victory, outscoring the Nor'easters 8-1 in the second half of that game. The blue and white will be seeking revenge for that game, along with last year's tournament loss, which ended UNE's season.
For the Men, it was do-or-die on Saturday against Nichols, and showed up to play when it counted. UNE peppered the net all game long, forcing Nichols goalie, Scott Gray, to make 24 stops. The Nor'easters out-shot the Bison 29-11 in the first half, and kept firing, out-shooting Nichols 55-33 for the game. UNE flat out wanted it more; out-shooting, out-hustling, and out-hitting the Bison, the Nor'easters earned this birth to the tournament. Luke Difiore had three goals and an assist, while Dan Leyden and Mike Pennachio each had two and one to lead the offense.
Their reward for making the tournament: a match up with number one seeded Western New England College. WNEC is the 12th nationally ranked team in the country, and they manhandled UNE earlier this year. The Golden Bears smoked UNE 18-3 three weeks ago, but UNE has been playing a lot better lacrosse since then, and will have the drive to shake up things in the TCCC.
The Softball team reached the twenty-win plateau with a double-header sweep of Anna Maria College on Friday, and solidified their sixth seed for the tournament on Saturday. After dropping the opening game against Roger Williams, UNE came back to win the nightcap, 8-2. Freshman pitcher Erin Lyons twirled a gem in the second game, going the distance and striking out six, while not allowing any earned runs. Senior Ashley Depasquale and first-year Megan Johnson each had two hits and knocked in two runs for the Nor'easters.
UNE will host Nichols College this afternoon in the play-in round at 4pm. Nichols (15-22, 13-11) swept UNE in a double-header earlier this year, 7-5 and 6-1. That was during a stretch of four games in five days for UNE, where they were playing sub par ball, and will seek revenge today.


Good Luck in the Tourney!

Close...But No Cigar

Both the Men's and Women's Lacrosse teams were on the brink of victory yesterday, but just came short of pulling it out. It took some last minute heroics for the USM Men to leave Biddeford with a win, and the Lady Huskies were able to withstand what would have been a monumental comeback.
In the Men's contest, UNE had all the ingredients needed for a win, but could not put them all together in the end. The Nor'easters defense was top notch yesterday, starting with senior goalie, Andy Briggs. Briggs, in his first start since being injured on March 27th, made thirteen stops including three on consecutive Huskie drives in the third quarter. First-year defenseman, Tim Margiotta, played aggressive causing six turnovers and gathering seven groundballs. The offense, though inconsistent, showed glimmers of brilliance. First-year Mike Pennacchio finished with a hat trick, and his goals could not be anymore timely, changing the flow of momentum with each one.
But it all came down to the final two minutes. UNE held the lead for the entire second half, until USM attackmen, Kyle Hamilton, tied up the game with 1:54 left to play. Hamilton would then score the go ahead goal 20 seconds later, capitalizing on the only mistake the defense made all day. Hamilton caught the entire back line out of position, and snuck a shot past Briggs for the lead. USM would hold on for the 7-6 win, as UNE turned the ball over twice in the final minute. Another frustrating loss for the Men, as they just seem to be stuck before getting over the hump.
The Nor'easters will be playing for the final spot in the TCCC Tournament on Saturday. Nichols and UNE both have a 1-7 conference record, and a victory will propel either team to the playoffs. The matchup will begin at 11am in Dudley, MA.

Keeping with the theme of excitement, the Women's Lacrosse team nearly posted a huge comeback yesterday in Portland. The teams were scoring in bunches yesterday, with USM starting the slugfest in a 9-1 fashion. UNE would then score three of the final four goals of the half, all coming from sophomore Danielle Cate, but still trailed 10-4 at the break. The Nor'easters would trim the margin even more at the start of the second half, scoring three unanswered in the first six minutes. The Huskies answered with a streak of their own, scoring five unanswered, and seemingly put the game out of reach with under seven minutes remaining. But the Nor'easters would storm back again, scoring five unanswered goals of their own, three off the stick of senior, Amanda Barker. However, time was not on their side, and five would not be enough, losing the match 15-12.
Cate and Barker led the offense with four and three goals, respectively. Junior Ginny Lee also had a goal and an assist, and goalie Tara Geraghty made 14 stops for the Nor'easters.
The Women will travel to Dudley, MA to play Nichols College (3-9, 0-8) at 2pm tomorrow.

Men's Lax Gets Worked

A strong start and an even stronger finish. That is what it took Gordon College to down the Nor'easters in a lambasting fashion, 18-8. Amid the rain and mud, the Fighting Scots scored three unanswered goals in the first five minutes, and would add another before UNE could get on the board. Going into halftime, a comeback looked promising as the Nor'easters scored three unanswered to bring the deficit to 8-5 heading into the locker room. However, the Scots would not allow it to get any closer, outscoring the blue and white 10-3 in the second half, including six unanswered goals to finish off the game.
Gordon had three players who had at least four goals. Joe Derechinshy tallied four, while Andrew Kirkaldy and Jordan MacIntosh each found the back of the net five times. Luke Difiore led the offense for UNE with three goals and an assist. Senior Dan Leyden put in two, and assisted on another goal. Senior goalie Andrew Briggs played in his first game since injuring his quad earlier this season.
The men will host USM tomorrow in the home finale, and travel to Dudley, MA to finish out the season.

Club Baseball Splits

The UNE Club Baseball team played a double-header against Tufts University of Sunday afternoon. The Nor'easters split the afternoon, winning 4-1 and losing 7-4. In game one, UNE rode the back of junior pitcher Dana Gobeil. Gobeil twirled a gem going the distance, striking out six, and scattering five hits. He was backed up by some solid defense up the middle, as junior's AJ Fredette and Dan Root tag teamed for three timely double plays. Junior’s Ryan Knight and Blake Conrad, who each had three hits, led the offense. Knight also scored two runs and stole two bases in the victory.

In the nightcap, the Nor'easters struggled in the field, committing four errors in the first four innings, showing sophomore hurler, Kal Smith, no love. Smith escaped the fourth inning allowing just two earned runs and striking out four, three of which that came on his nasty 12-6 curveball. Junior, Brian Muldoon, came in to finish the last three innings, giving up one run on four hits. UNE had trouble getting the bats going and were shutout until the sixth when junior John Rosati knocked in Knight with a single to left. The Nor'easters would score four times that inning, but it was too little too late as Tufts finished with a 7-4 win.

Other notables include Jack Nolan ripping a single in his first at bat here at UNE. Pinch hitter, Pat McCarthy, knocked a double to right and made it look easy. The team will now be on hiatus until the Fall where they will look to capture the NECBA Championship.

Storm Cloud Forms Over UNE This Weekend

This weekend proved to be a tough one for UNE, with the Men's and Women's Lacrosse team, and the Softball team all suffering losses. The Nor'easters all had tough matches ahead of them, and could not come out on top.
Both Lacrosse teams traveled down to Bristol, Rhode Island to square off with Roger Williams University. RWU is one of the top lacrosse programs in the conference, and they showed off their muscle on Saturday.
In the Women's game, the Hawks jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead, and that the type of day it was for the Nor'easters. Roger Williams kept pouring it on, extending the lead to 10-3, before UNE would make a late first half push closing the gap and headed into halftime down 13-8. The beginning of the second half looked promising for a UNE comeback as Amanda Barker scored on a free position shot, just two minutes into the second frame. But Roger Williams would put the clamps on after that, holding UNE scoreless for the rest of the game. The Hawks would then add eight goals of their own to make this game a blowout.
Kate McCarter led the offense for UNE scoring four goals, while sophomore tender Tara Geraghty made 15 stops in the game. The Ladies will finish their home campaign on Wednesday as they host Gordon College at 4:00pm.
The Men's game was a bit of a different story. Despite a loss, the Nor'easters showed even more improvement, and played one of their best games of the year. In a game that was constantly tied, the Hawks scored what would be the game winner with just five minutes left in the game. With a couple of bounces the other way, this game could have easily been an upset victory for the Nor'easters. With the win, Roger Williams (8-4, 5-2) sits tied in the third slot in the TCCC with Salve Regina. UNE will host Nichols College in a battle for the eight seed in the TCCC Tournament tomorrow at 4:00pm, and will play their final home game of the season on Thursday against the University of Southern Maine.

It was a tale of two days this weekend, as the Softball team swept on Saturday, and got swept on Sunday. The Nor'easters got two great pitching performances on Saturday against Anna Maria, winning 5-2 and 8-1. First-year pitcher Erin Lyons dominated the Amcats lineup, punching out 13 batters while only walking one. Junior Julie Monteiro had two hits and knocked in two runs, while senior Megan Gaegje jacked her second home run of the season to take the first game of the double-header. In the second game, sophomore hurler Amber Zablowsky allowed just two hits and struck out five. Zablowsky went the distance, earning the win while allowing just one Amcat to cross the plate. The Nor'easters had 12 hits in the affair and took advantage of six Anna Maria errors in the 8-1 victory. Junior Angie Damon led the way going 2-4 with a double and a home run, knocking in two runs.
Sunday was a different story. UNE should have saved some of the runs from Saturday, as the Ladies could only score four runs in the double-header, losing 6-2 and 8-2 to TCCC rival Western New England College. The offense could not get rolling in either game, as the WNEC pitching held the Nor'easter lineup to six hits and five hits, respectively. The Nor'easters help bury their own grave on Sunday, committing 11 errors in the two games. The Women will try to get back on the winning horse as they travel to Bowdoin tomorrow for an out of conference contest at 3:30pm.

Softball Sweeps Again

Thomas College proved to be no contest for UNE yesterday, as the Nor'easters rolled to victories of 6-1 and 9-0. In the first half of the doubleheader, first-year hurler Erin Lyons scattered four hits and had nine punchados, holding Thomas to just a single run over seven innings. Six different Nor'easters had hits yesterday. Leading the pack was senior Ashley Depasquale, who had three hits, and junior Lauren Webb had two. The Nor'easters were able to get on the board early, putting one run across in the first and added some more insurance in the fourth and fifth innings.

In the nightcap, the Nor'easters made quick work of the Terriers wrapping the game up in five innings due to the mercy rule. UNE put their hitting shoes on, hammering 16 hits and sending 9 ladies across the plate. All of the starters had at least one hit. Maegen Gaedje piloted the offensive charge with 3 hits, 3 rbi, and 2 runs scored. Depasquale, Webb, and junior Angie Damon each chipped in with two hits in the 9-0 rout.
The Nor'easters get back to conference play as they travel for a double-header against Anna Maria tomorrow, and return home to host Western New England on Sunday.

Gulls beat Nor'easters; UNE Shows Improvement

The 15th ranked team in the country, Endicott College, came into Biddeford and stormed over the Nor'easters 12-4 in yesterday's contest. UNE was able to keep it close with some great defense towards the end of the second quarter, and headed into halftime trailing 6-2. However, the Gulls came out firing on all cylinders in the third period meeting the back of the net five consecutive times to put the game out of reach. The Blue and White were able to notch one in each period, but it would not be enough to take down the TCCC powerhouse. Steve Smith, Mike Woods, Luke Difiore, and Dylan Thomas each scored for UNE, with Thomas leading the way with three total points.
Despite a loss, the Nor'easters showed some promising improvement again yesterday. First-year goaltender, Nate Porter, had his second strong start in a row, making ten stops throughout the game. UNE also squandered four Endicott extra man opportunities and forced the Gulls to shoot often from deep.
This game showed the vast improvement a year makes for the Nor'easters; last year's game against Endicott ended in a 23-3 bloodbath. UNE will travel to play another top team in the conference, Roger Williams, tomorrow at 3:30pm.

Softball Gets Back on Track

The UNE Softball team got back to their winning ways yesterday with a double-header sweep of Regis College. After losing five of the past six games, the Ladies got the taste of victory once again rolling to a 16-7 win in the first game, and a 2-0 win in the second game. The Nor'easters improve to 15-8-1 overall, and added to their outstanding out-of-conference record to 7-1.
This starts a streak of eight games in four days for the Ladies with double-headers Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. UNE will travel to Waterville, ME tomorrow for another out-of-conference against Thomas College at 4pm.

Men's Lax Drops

Despite playing great defense, the UNE Men's Lacrosse team could not get anything going at the other end, falling at Wentworth 8-6. After slow start to the game, the second quarter was filled with action as eight goals were scored between the two teams. Wentworth went into the locker room up 5-3 on the Nor'easters and never looked back. The Leopards would add three more in the third, and that would be the only scoring that they would need.
The Nor'easters could not get any rhythm going in the offensive end, getting outshot 46-27 for the game along with committing 47 turnovers. A great effort by first year goalie, Nate Porter, who had a career high 21 saves for the Blue and White.
This was another tight game for UNE, who has played six games that have been decided by four goals or less. The Nor'easters are 3-3 in those games.
The team will look to upset the 15th ranked team in the country, Endicott College, tomorrow at 4 pm in Biddeford.

Women's Lax Smothers St. Joe's

The Nor'easters jumped out to a quick lead, and then kept pouring it on yesterday in Standish, rolling over the St. Joseph Monks 20-6. UNE scored the first five goals of the game, and went on a 9-1 scoring run in the final 12 minutes of the first half to put this game out of reach early. UNE peppered the net all game, especially during the first half as they launched 24 shots in the first frame. The Blue and White capitalized on 17 of those 24 shots and headed into halftime well in control with a 12-goal lead.
Plenty of Nor'easters got into the action yesterday. Amanda Barker and Kate McCarter led the way, each putting in five goals and an assist. Junior Mallory Long and sophomore Danielle Cate each finished with four points, and junior Ginny Lee found the back of the net twice.
The Women are currently on a two game win streak and will look to extend it tomorrow as they host TCCC preseason favorite Endicott College in Biddeford at 4pm.

Tough Weekend for Nor'easters

This weekend proved to be a tough one for UNE athletics. With Men's and Women's Lacrosse and Softball all in action, only the Women's Lacrosse team was able to notch one in the win column and save the program from a clean sweep.
After being rained out on Saturday, the Women's Lacrosse team traveled to Newport, R.I. where they left victorious on Sunday. After opening up the game exchanging the first six goals, the Nor'easters went on a tear scoring 11 of the next 12 goals carrying over into the second half. UNE was an offensive force yesterday, out-shooting the Seahawks 45-19 for the game, and finishing the game with a 19-8 score for the victory.
Senior Amanda Barker finished with five goals, while Kate McCarter and Mallory Long each netted four goals. Tara Geraghty got the win, making seven stops in between the pipes. The Nor'easters improve to 2-2 in the conference and 2-6 overall. The Women will travel to St. Joe's(1-2, 4-3) this afternoon for an out of conference match up at 4pm.

The Men's Lacrosse team fell to Salve Regina yesterday, who remains undefeated in the TCCC. UNE was down early, 3-1 in the first, and then the Seahawks exploded for four goals in the third to expand the lead to 7-3. The Nor'easters were unable to get any offense going, getting out-shot 54-25, and generating only one goal per quarter, losing the match 8-4. First year net-minder had a solid day, stopping a career high 20 shots, including eight in the third quarter. Senior Dan Leyden increased his point total to 21 after finding the back of the net three times in yesterday's game.
The Nor'easters will look to get their first conference win of the season as they host the fifth ranked team in the nation, Endicott College, tomorrow at 4pm.

I guess I jinxed the Women's Softball team. After praising them for their great play throughout the season, the Blue and White dropped four straight games this weekend. On Saturday, Nichols College hosted UNE sweeping the double-header. In the first game, UNE out-hit the Bison 12-11, but Nichols had the timelier hitting, scoring three runs in the fifth to put them on top for good. In the second game, the Nor'easter bats were quiet and the fielding was lackluster. Senior Megan Gaedje was responsible for UNE's lone run, blasting a home run in the fourth. Four UNE errors lead to three unearned runs for pitcher Amber Zablowsky.
On Sunday, the Women traveled to Endicott College trying to get on the winning track once again. In the first game, UNE jumped out to a 6-0 lead before losing by mercy rule 15-6. Endicott had there hitting shoes on, racking up 15 runs on 15 hits for a 15-6 victory. Seniors Megan Gaedje and Ashley Depasquale each had two hits, while Gaedje knocked in two and Depasquale had four RBIs. The second game was much of the same story, but the Nor'easters stayed in the game. Endicott once again smacked the ball all over the field, posting 13 hits in the 8-6 victory for the Gulls. Depasquale once again led the charge for the Nor'easters, blasting a two run homer. Junior Julie Monteiro chipped in with two hits and two RBIs for UNE who return to action on Thursday when they host Eastern Nazarene College at 3:30pm.

Softball Rolling

The Women's Softball team finished with another sweep yesterday against the University of Southern Maine Huskies. This came as no surprise as the Huskies entered the day with a 1-13 record, but the Nor'easters still played some great ball to ensure the wins. UNE is now 12-3-1 on the season, after tying one and losing one to Salve Regina on Wednesday.
In the first game yesterday, seven Nor'easters got hits including two each from first year Liz Kelly and junior Caroline Engwer. The Nor'easters were up 6-4 heading into the seventh and then added three more to put the nail in the coffin, for a final score of 9-4. First year Katie Knowlen and senior Jess Silvio paired up for the pitching duties, with Silvio getting credit for the winning, hurling four strong innings of relief work.
Once again, UNE did not let up in the second game getting the win by way of the mercy rule for the third time this week. Sophomore Amber Zablowsky started on the hill for the Ladies, allowing just two hits in three innings before being relieved by first year Julie Bigelow for the final two innings. The Nor'easters had their hitting shoes on as they racked up 12 hits in just a five-inning game. First year Marie Mantelli went deep for UNE in the first and junior Jenn Waldecker connected for a grand slam in the third. The Huskies managed to get a run in the fourth and the fifth, but it was nowhere near enough as UNE cruised to an 11-2 victory.
The Nor'easters will have a busy weekend, traveling to Nichols (5-11, 3-3) on Saturday, and Endicott (4-0, 11-3) on Sunday.

Softball Sails

The Nor'easters continued on their hot streak yesterday, improving to 10-2 after sweeping Gordon College yesterday in Biddeford. In the first game, the home team struck early, putting up five runs in the second inning. Juniors Angie Damon and Lauren Webb each knocked in runs for the Nor'easters in the second frame. The Fighting Scots would answer in the top of the third, scoring three, but then their defense let them down throughout the rest of the game. Four Gordon errors led to four unearned runs and an 8-5 win for the Nor'easters.
UNE rode the pitching of senior Jess Silvio and sophomore Amber Zablowsky for the win. Webb, Damon, and senior Ashley Depasquale all had two hits for UNE. Depasquale and junior Caroline Engwer each scored twice for the blue and white. Gordon's runs all came from the same bat as first baseman Leah Granat went 3-4 with two homers.

The momentum carried over into the second game for the Nor'easters, winning in mercy rule fashion 11-3. UNE once again capitalized on some poor fielding by the Scots, who committed six errors in the evening affair. In the third inning alone, UNE came across the plate ten times, as Gordon committed five errors. However, poor fielding was not the only reason Gordon was out of this game early. The Nor'easter bats were alive, spraying 12 hits all over the field, including two from senior Megan Gaedje, first year's Marie Mantelli and Ashley Gott. First year pitcher, Erin Lyons, improved her record to 4-0 on the season after pitching the first four innings of last nights contest. Lyons struck out eight while allowing no runs and two hits.

The Nor'easters look to continue their hot streak today as they host Salver Regina (10-10, 2-2) at 3:30pm.

Women's Lax Falls

The UNE Women's Lacrosse team fell in another hard fought game last night against Curry College. Curry earned their first conference win while the Nor'easters slid to 1-2 in TCCC play.
The teams exchanged goals early in the first period, but Curry then pulled out to a 8-3 halftime lead. The Colonels would extend their lead early on in the second half to 11-4, before the Nor'easters started their push. The blue and white scored nine goals in the remaining half, but it was too little too late. Curry held on for a 16-12 win on UNE's home turf.
Sophomore Kate McCarter led the way for the Nor'easters notching a career high five goals. Danielle Cate finished with three goals and an assist, while junior captain, Mallory Long, finished the game with a goal and two assists.
The Nor'easters will look to get back on the winning track on Saturday as they travel to Newport, RI to square off with Salve Regina (2-4, 1-2).

Spring Sports are Hot

The Women's Softball team has started the season on a tear. The Ladies are 8-2 on the season after splitting a double-header with Curry College over the weekend. With a young team, they have nine freshman, the Women have shown no signs of inexperience or adjustment. Four of the team's top ten hitters are first years, and four of the five pitchers used are also new to the scene. The early success quickly puts an X on the team from schools around the conference, but if they keep playing ball like they have been, they will not be stopped.
The Men's Lacrosse team is off to their best start in school history. Starting at 4-2, the Nor'easters are also relying heavily on the talent of first year players. Freshman Dylan Thomas, Mike Woods, and Mike Pennacchio are all in the top five for the team in scoring. Freshman goalie Nate Porter is anchoring a greatly improved line of defense, while Tim Margiotta and Colin Knipper are constantly bugging opponents in the zone. In addition, senior Dan Leyden is playing some outstanding ball, notching 15 goals and 18 total points in the first six games. The Men are surprising teams in the league, and their schedule only gets tougher down the stretch, but Coach Hunt will only look one game at a time and ride the success.
The Women's Lacrosse team notched their first win last week againt Colby-Sawyer 13-12. The Women got off to a slow start, but are playing much better in their past two games. The Nor'easters lost a tough one against New England College on Saturday, 14-13, in a game which needed an extra period to be settled. The Women will take on Curry College tomorrow afternoon in Biddeford.
The success that athletics had in the winter seems to be carrying over to the spring. What an exciting end of the year we are in for...

And So It Ends...

The Nor'easters historic basketball season has officially come to an end with a loss in the NCAA Division III National Tournament to Farmingdale State. UNE probably played their worst game of the year, against the best opponent they have faced all year. Farmingdale out-rebounded, out-shot, and flat out out-hustled the Nor'easters. Those things rarely happened throughout the season, especially the latter of the three, but the Rams caught UNE on an off night.
The Nor'easters came out sluggish, allowing the Rams to get out to a 22-11 lead, and then exploding with seven minutes left in the half, extending their lead to 42-26 at intermission. UNE shot a disgusting 26% from the field, including 18% from beyond the arc during the first half, and could not get anything sort of rhythm going. The Nor'easters got away from their game, playing a slower half court offense and did not capitalize on Farmingdale turnovers.
The second half was better, but still not that great. UNE continued to be ice cold from downtown, but showed better effort attacking the paint. Juice Simpson led the way; not letting the Nor'easters lay down, and played the second half with a chip on his shoulder. Simpson, or "Birdman," scored all of his 17 points in the second frame, most of which coming by attacking the rim and fighting for second chance opportunities. Johnnie Jefferson could not find his stroke until late, connecting on a couple threes in the final minutes of the game, and TCCC Rookie of the Year, Quentin Thompson, struggled all game to score, finishing with 9 points.
The Rams showed off their height advantage and athleticism, out-rebounding the Nor'easters 53-30 and finished with an outstanding 52 points in the paint. Farmingdale also did a great job of playing the game at their pace, often out-running UNE, and really controlled the play all game long.
Despite ending the season with a loss, the Nor'easters had a truly outstanding season, winning the TCCC and setting a school record with 24 wins. Remember this is a program that had just five wins two years ago, and now their is a true passion about basketball on this campus. We look forward to the Blue and White being on the court in the 2009-2010 campaign.

Women Fall, Say Goodbye to Three

Keene State has officially ousted the University of New England of the 2008-2009 basketball campaign. The Owls topped the Nor'easters 58-53 on Wednesday night, and will now play Nichols College in the second round of the ECAC Tournament.
This loss ends a season in which the Ladies tied a school record for most wins in a season with 20.
The Nor'easters trailed by as much as thirteen before storming back to take a six point lead in the second half. Then the Owls rallied, knocking down a couple of threes and taking the lead for good. Senior's Alli Gamache, Sara Pelkey, and Heather White have now all played their final game for the Blue and White. Gamache finished her career in unusual fashion, leading the team with 12 points by connecting on four treys. Gamache has finished her career with 1,066 points, finishing second in UNE's record books for most career three pointers made (233), and tied for most three's in a season as she hit 82 this winter. Pelkey has finished her career, deserving the title "most consistent." Pelkey was a usual suspect when crashing the boards and getting points in the paint. Sara has finished her career with 943 total points and 590 total rebounds. White ends her career wearing the "C" on her jersey. Despite not receiving much playing time, the Nor'easters will greatly miss her leadership and energy that she brought day in, day out.
The team had an impressive season stringing together a ten game win streak and winning 14 of 15 over the final six weeks of the season. The Women also made it to the semi-final game of The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament, a feat that has not been done since the 2002-2003 season, and received a bid into the ECAC Tournament.
The 2008-2009 Women's Basketball team was a team that received much notoriety throughout the entire season. Gamache was named to the TCCC All Conference First-Team, along with an All-State second team nomination by the Maine's Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Sophomore Carrie Bunnell was also honored by the TCCC as she was named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference Team. Bunnell averaged nearly ten points and three rebounds for the season. First year players Margo Russell and Kelley Paradis were also recognized for their immediate contributions. Russell was named TCCC Rookie of the Week twice during the season, while Paradis received the State Rookie of the Week earlier this season. Russell finished averaging ten points, six rebounds, and Paradis finished with ten and five.
Despite losing three veterans, the Nor'easters have a great young core that will help lead the way next season. These Women will immediately take the role of "veterans" both on and off the court, and will look to build on the great success they had this year.

Women to Start ECAC Tourney Tonight

The Women's basketball team will travel to Keene, N.H. tonight to take on the Keene State Owls in the first round of the ECAC Tournament. The Owls were denied an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after losing in the semi-final round of the Little East Conference Tournament to Eastern Connecticut State. The fourth seed in the ECAC tournament, Keene State holds a 20-7 record (which is identical to UNE's record), including a win over the Nor'easters in November.
The last time these two teams played was during the Keene State Tip Off Tournament. Despite being tied at the half, the Owls went on a 16-3 run early in the second half to pull away for good. UNE shot poorly during this came, and couldn't stop Keene State as they got hot in the second half. This game seemed like a three-point competition as a total of 58 treys were attempted by the two teams, 33 in the first half alone. Senior guard Alli Gamache had a career high 23 points in that game, twenty which came in the second half. First year guard Kelley Paradis had 11 points for the Nor'easters.
The Nor'easters will need to find a spark off the bench in tonights game, as both teams have about a 10 player rotation. Additionally, Keene State has the knack for swiping the ball away nearly 12 times a game from opponents. On the other hand, they are susceptible to turning the ball over, which will play into the hands of the UNE and their full court press.
UNE will have to stop Little East All-Conference stars Kristin Degou and Nicole Simmler. Degou and Simmler are the leading scorers for the Owls scoring 13.0 and 10.6 points respectively. Simmler creates all sorts of mismatches when she's on the floor. At 5'11", she can create havoc in the paint, but can also pop out and shoot from the outside, which drives defenses crazy.
UNE will have their hands full tonight, but will look to seek revenge on the Owls and continue thier season. The winner of tonights game will play the winner of top seeded Nichols and eighth seeded Plymouth State.

Preview of NCAA 1st Round

The University of New England will be tipping off against Farmingdale State College on Friday night at Rhode Island College. The Rams received an at-large bid out of the Skyline Conference, after a final second loss to St. Joe's (NY).
Like the Nor'easters, several Rams have been recognized by their conference for their performance on the floor. Senior guard, Damien Santana, was awarded Player of the Year for the Skyline Conference for the second year in a row, and is the all-time leading scorer in Rams history. Santana averaged 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game this season. Junior forward, Mike Campbell, was named to the All-Conference First Team this season, averaging team highs 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. The Rams are guided by Coach Erik Smiles, who was awarded Coach of the Year by the Skyline Conference. This is Smiles seventh time receiving the award. This season's award was deserved after leading Farmingdale to a conference championship appearance, stringing together 20 straight wins, and finishing with a 24-3 overall record this season.
The Nor'easters and the Rams play two different styles of basketball, and it will be exciting to watch them clash on Friday. The Rams rely greatly on their size, having seven players whom stand taller than 6'5", whereas the Nor'easters tallest player, Johnnie Jefferson, is only 6'4". The Rams out rebounded their opponents by an average of 13 boards per game, and that number will probably increase against a small UNE team.
The Farmingdale offense is run primarily for Santana and Campbell. These two players are responsible for nearly 50% of the points that the Rams have scored this year. Both players have had outstanding seasons, but UNE will have to find a way to slow these guys down and force other guys to take shots.
The Rams also have three other players who have averaged 10 points per game or higher, all starters. Despite their starting five, Farmingdale is not a deep team, which is an advantage for UNE who does not stop running all game long. The talent and depth of the Nor'easters will bring tired legs, forcing the Rams to go to their skeletal bench.
There is no doubt that Friday will be an exciting day, and a historic day for UNE athletics. The game will start at 8pm at Rhode Island College. The winner of this game will face the winner of Rhode Island College versus MIT, which will be played at 6pm on Friday.

CHAMPS!!

CHAMPS!!

Finally, the University of New England will be able to lift the first Men's The Commonwealth Coast Conference banner to the rafters. The Nor'easters beat the Chargers of Colby-Sawyer 90-79, for the first male championship in UNE's Men's athletic history.
Saturday was a day filled with anxiousness and excitement, not only for the team, but the UNE community. Students started arriving about three hours before game-time, forming a line from the Campus Center doors past Freddy. This seemed to be the biggest event on campus besides the rave. Colby-Sawyer also brought about 100 students to cheer for the Chargers away from their home court.
In the first half, both teams were dead-on from the field, both shooting over 50% from the field and the teams exchanged leads 16 times. I wish I could say that this half consisted of great championship-caliber basketball, but it did not. The team of referees that were anything but championship-caliber took over. calling 27 first half fouls. Keep in mind that each half is only 20 minutes long. (For all you math geeks thats 1.35 fouls per minute, an amount that does not even happen in instructional league.) The teams combined to shoot 23-30 from the charity stripe in the first half. With some many stoppages, UNE was unable to get their fast-paced rhythm in check, and trailed 49-48 at intermission.
As it has been so many times this season, the second half was the Nor'easters half. UNE started the second frame on a 16-5 run, which then set the pace for the rest of the game. The Chargers kept went on a couple runs of their own, but UNE had an answer every time. TCCC Rookie of the Year provided one stop and put the momentum back in the Nor'easters hands as he called for an isolation and drove the lane for two as the shot clock dwindled.
The Nor'easters defense got tighter in the second half, holding Colby-Sawyer to only 37% in the half. UNE, however, heated up in the second period, especially from deep. The Nor'easters shot 52% from the field, including 64% from beyond the arc in the second half. Seniors Steve Belmonte and Johnnie Jefferson each knocked down four, and Thompson hit three treys for the home team. Four out of the five starters were in double figures for UNE, while Thompson led the way with 20. Senior Juice Simpson was one rebound away from a double double as he had 15 points and 9 rebounds.
The Nor'easters really came together as a team in the second half, using great defense to turn into their offense. This was a trademark victory to clinch The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship. The record crowd of 1,092 at the Campus Center went nuts as Belmonte threw the ball to the rafters as time expired.
UNE will travel to Rhode Island on Thursday to play Farmingdale State College (New York). Farmingdale has some big men on their roster, 7 of which stand above 6'5''. The Nor'easters have overcome height deficiencies before, but this will be the toughest challenge yet.

We're Goin' to the 'Ship!

Last nights matchup between Salve Regina and UNE gets my vote for "Game of the Year" at UNE. The SeaHawks have shown that they are fans of drama, as it took a double-overtime win against Nichols to advance against UNE, and a finish in the final minute of the game that exited them from the tournament. The Campus Center was near maximum capacity last night, and the crowd was roaring as the Nor'Easters advanced to the TCCC Championship Game.
The game went back-and-forth all night long, as the teams exchanged leads nine times, and were all tied up five times. Both teams played a bit sloppy, as they combined for 60 turnovers, including 35 steals.
The Nor'easters were forced to fight back after trailing by five at the end of the first frame. UNE heated up in the second half, shooting 55% from the field, while Salve Regina cooled down, connecting on only 35% of their shots.
Leading with less than three minutes remaining, the SeaHawks lead by three, but would not connect on another field goal the rest of the way. Senior guard Steve Belmonte hit the biggest shot of his career with 1:30 left, putting the Nor'easters up for good.
The final 45 seconds became a game of free throws. After Chas Renthrope made two with 30 ticks left, the Nor'easters made it interesting only going 1-4 in the final seconds of the game, giving the SeaHawks a chance to win with three seconds left. Sophmore guard Windell Hickson let go a half-court runner, which clanked off the back rim, to give the Nor'easters the win and a birth to the TCCC Championship game.
Salve Regina's Justin Woodworth posted a double double for the visitors with a game high 27 points while grabbing 10 boards. The Nor'easters had three players in double figures, with Johnnie Jefferson being the leading scorer with 18 points. Quentin Thompson dumped in 16, and Juice Simpson went 8-11 from the charity stripe and finished with 12 points for UNE. Renthrope played tremendous defense down the stretch, denying Woodworth the ball, and finished with a game high six steals.
The Nor'easters will host second seeded Colby-Sawyer College tomorrow night at 7 pm. Colby-Sawyer will seek revenge, as UNE was able to top the Chargers two weeks ago, 81-72, in a regular season match-up. The Chargers are 20-6 on the year, and were the pre-season pick to win the conference. Be sure to get there early as the first 150 students to arrive will receive new, unreleased tee-shirts.

Women Fall, Hope for ECAC Bid

Women Fall, Hope for ECAC Bid


The UNE Women's Basketball Team's hopes of a TCCC Championship are now gone. The Ladies lost for the second consecutive game at the MacDonald Gymnasium, as Endicott College pulled out a 78-67 victory last night. The Nor'easters held a one-point lead at the half by connecting on 50% of the three point attempts, going 6-12. The second half was a different story, however, as the Women went cold from everywhere (9-32 overall), but especially from deep (1-11).
Endicott junior forward, Ceciley Chisholm, took the game over in the second half, and finished with 18 points and an outstanding 15 rebounds. However, shooting was the story for this game. The Gulls shot 47% for the game, including shooting 60% from beyond the arc. The Nor'easters shot an abysmal 32% from the field, and only 30% from three-land.
The women were lead by freshman forward Margo Russell, who was the only Nor'easter in double figures with 17 points and grabbed 8 boards.
UNE will keep their fingers crossed in hopes of keeping their season alive with a bid to the ECAC Tournament.

And the Tourney Continues...

Last night was an exciting night on the UNE campus, as both the Men and Women's basketball teams pulled through with a win on the home court. These wins are the first The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament victories for the Men and Women since the 2003-2004 season, and marks the first ever home victory in the TCCC Tourney for the Men. The Men's team will play the fourth seeded Salve Regina at home on Thursday, while the Women's team will have to travel to second seeded, and bitter rival, Endicott on Thursday.
Defense was the story in the Women's game last night, as the Nor'easters caused the Golden Bears to turn the ball over 21 times. The stingy defense was able to cover up some a poor shooting performance, as the victors only shot 35% from the floor. Despite the number of shots that they did not connect on, the Nor'easters still put up 79 points while all five starters posted double figures. Kelley Paradis led the way with twenty, and senior Alli "Ms. 1000" Gamache, who was held scoreless in the first half, exploded for 17 in the second frame. Senior forward Sara Pelkey posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, which includes five offensive rebounds.
Endicott beat Regis College last night, 57-47, despite trailing by seven at the half. Endicott is the Nor'easters only blemish in conference play and ended UNE's ten-game win streak the last time they met. That game was ugly from the get-go, as the Gulls held a 41-18 lead at half, and never looked back, crushing the Nor'easters 85-65. UNE will have to continue the tough defense they played last night, but they will have to connect more from the floor, especially from beyond the arc if they expect to upset Endicott.
The first half of the Men's game left the fans on the edge of their seat as the teams constantly exchanged leads. The Nor'easters led by seven at the half after capitalizing on an alley-oop lay-up to Ryan Knotek with 0.6 seconds left. UNE then went on a 17-4 run early in the second half to claim the lead for good. UNE played one of the best "team" games they have all season long. With Juice Simpson getting into foul trouble in the first half (a few questionable calls might I add), Marchale Robinson and Marcus Winn filled in beautifully. The Nor'easters bench outscored the Golden Bears' 22-2 for the game, with Winn, Robinson, and Knotek each had six. Knotek played exceptional defense down low, banging with the physical WNEC forwards, and pulled down four rebounds. Steve Belmonte, Quentin Thompson, Anthony Johnson, and Johnnie Jefferson were all in double-figures for the Blue and White, and the team shot an outstanding 50% in the second half.
The Nor'easters will host Salve Regina on Thursday night. SRU nearly blew an 18 point halftime lead, as Nichols came storming back twice and forced double overtime to finally decide a winner. The Nor'easters played SRU in mid-January and posted a ten point victory, 83-73. Jefferson and Thompson paired up for 49 points and 16 boards in that game, while Belmonte and Juice were both in double-figures to lead the scoring charge for the Nor'easters. UNE will try to take advantage of the tired legs of the Seahawks, as they had to play a 50-minute game on Tuesday. The Men's game will start at 7 o'clock on Thursday because the Women's team will be at Endicott.

TCCC Tourney Starts Tonight!

The University of New England Men's and Women's Basketball Teams open up the TCCC tourney tonight as the both go head-to-head against Western New England. The Nor'easters will look to seek revenge as the Golden Bears ended the Men's and Women's game 363 days ago.
Oh how the tides have turned in the TCCC; the Men's team is this years top ranked team, up from being the fifth ranked team last season, and the Women's team has shot up from seventh to third.
Last year the Men lost at WNEC in a grueling battle 69-60. The Nor'easters displayed some sharp shooting and depth when the Golden Bears came to visit earlier in the year. The bench provided 40 points, led by Anthony Johnson who had 11, and the team shot an outstanding 57%. The Men caused 26 turnovers, 13 off of guard Rick Johnson alone, on their way to a 79-66 win. The Golden Bears are going to come back hungry and hot, as they have been winners of five of their last six games.
The Women could not get anything going in last years tournament, only shooting 31% from the field, and committing 18 turnovers. Earlier this year, the Nor'easters pulled out a seven point victory, as Carrie Bunnell, Margo Russell, and Sara Pelkey were all in double figures for the home team. UNE was able to dominate the paint, scoring 26 points in the paint, and will look to do so again tonight as WNEC looks to end the Nor'easters season for the second year in a row.

Letter to the Fans

Letter to the Fans

To our wonderful fans,Firstly, thank you!!! Your support throughout this season has been amazing and means a great deal to the student-athletes and the Department of Athletics. Hasn't it been incredible!?! I hope you are all having as much fun as we are. This past Saturday we had an incredible crowd attend the UNE vs. Nichols Basketball game. Our women beat a previously undefeated Nichols team and our men, just did what they do so well and finished business. For that we are grateful and proud. However, during that game, the Commissioner of The Commonwealth Coast Conference, mentioned to me that one of our cheers was offensive. Therefore, I am writing to you to request/require that you do not use the words "you suck" in any of your cheers during this upcoming week. We are doing so well and it is important that our University is acknowledged for the incredible success of our student-athletes. In considering this issue, I did some research and found that Syracuse University, American University, Kansas University and the NFL have all banned the "Hey Song". I do not want to ban it, I want us to find a better choice of words that are positive and sportsmanlike!

You are the best fans and we need you, and as I tell our teams, be above reproach, then we can truly bask in our success. Thank you, Kim

Women's Win, Men's Streak Snapped

Women's Win, Men's Streak Snapped


As one piece of history comes to an end, another one starts. As the Men's record-setting win streak was snapped on Wednesday night, the Women's team set the highest win total for the program since the 1990-1991 season. The Women were not faced with a challenge against Gordon as they opened up the game on an 18-0 run. The Nor'easters did not look back after pulling ahead, never trailing in the game, and absolutely dominating every aspect of the game. The Ladies played their best defensive game of the season, swiping the ball awa 15 times and creating a total of 28 turnovers. However, the Fighting Scots did not display much talent on the court. The scoring charge for the Nor'Easters was lead by sophomore Carrie Bunnell, who dropped 17 and hit 3-4 from the three-point line, and freshman Margo Russell, who had 15 points. This win is a good way to go into a tough regular season finale against Nichols on Saturday. Nichols is making some history of their own, as they have strung together 21 straight, and sit on top of the conference standings.
The Men faced a tougher battle all night long, as both teams continuously shared and exchanged leads. Gordon's size showed to be a problem for the Nor'easters, who could not stop the Fighting Scots in the paint. The Nor'easters were forced to move away from their run-and-gun offense, and tried to take the Gordon big men, one-on-one, off the dribble. Despite holding a 37-34 lead at the half, momentum was clearly on the home teams side. The teams continued to exchange leads until about with six minutes left in the second half, Gordon went on a 13-0 run which they never looked back from. UNE did not play its brand of basketball on Wednesday night, making only five three-pointers (about half of their average), three that came in the final two minutes of the contest.
A loss for the Nor'easters in this game is not a bad thing, however. This brings the team back down to Earth, and I'm not saying they were getting cocky, because it is important for a team to know what losing feels like again before they head into the tournament. The Nor'easters had not lost since late-November, and despite wanting to continue their historic run, unfortunately fell short. UNE will look to get back on the right track tomorrow, as they will tip-off against Nichols College. Getting the winning streak snapped will make this team even hungrier in the tournament, and then they can make some real history.

Gordon Tonight!

Gordon Tonight!


Tonight the Men's and Women's Basketball Teams will be tipping off against the Fighting Scots of Gordon College. This TCCC match up will be a tough one for the Men's team, as Gordon sits in fourth place (17-6 overall, 7-4 TCCC). The Women should have an easier time as the Lady Scots are currently on a five game losing streak and are at the bottom of the totem pole in the conference (4-19, 3-8 TCCC).
The Men's team will once again be severely outsized as the Gordon rotation features four players above 6'7.'' Despite UNE overcoming this problem time and time again, Gordon plays one of the stingiest defenses in the league giving up a mere 62.8 points per game. The Nor'easters will have to play lock-down D themselves, as the Fighting Scots have shown that they have some sharpshooters on their roster as well. As a team, Gordon leads The Commonwealth Coast Conference in field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Additionally, this is the only team that could possibly keep up with UNE's 11-man rotation; GC has shown that they have great depth, consistently playing with a 9 to 10 man rotation themselves. UNE will have control the play of junior Aaron Trigg. This guard from Kansas has been the motor for the Fighting Scots, averaging a team-high 18.5 points per game and shooting lights-out from the field. Trigg has shown that he is one of the premiere players in the league since he arrived at Gordon, starting every game and averaging in double figures during his three-year tenure.
This could show to be a trap game for the Nor'easters because they have already locked up first place and home-court advantage throughout TCCC tournament. However, it is doubtful that Coach Mulligan will let his team play unfocused and sloppy basketball, and it is important to stay hot going into tournament play.
The Lady Scots have just played awful basketball all year long. Holding only four wins all year, these Women are averaging just 42.8 points per game, while shooting an anemic 28.4% from the field. The Nor'easters will look to build on their last-second win over Colby-Sawyer on Saturday. The next two games of the season are extremely important as UNE is fighting for a second place seed in TCCC tournament. UNE will have to win out the rest of their games, and Endicott will have to be upset in one of their next two in order for the Nor'easters to claim the spot.
The Nor'easter Nasties will once again be traveling with the squads to watch, as they play out their final away game in the regular season.

Three for Three

Three for Three


This weekend was yet another exciting for the University as the Men's Hockey Team and the Women's and Men's Basketball Teams all took home victories. The Men's Ice Hockey Team ended their 2008-2009 home campaign as they took on the UMaine Club team. The Nor'easters extended their current win streak to seven games as they skated to a 5-2 victory on Friday night. UMaine goalie, Kevin Donohue was kept busy by the home team as they launched 54 shots on goal. The Men came out fast in the second period scoring three goals, while dousing a few UMaine power play opportunities. UNE had goals scored by Todd Barlett, David Woods, and Ted Fabian in the second frame, while making the Black Bears seem scattered as they could not control the puck at all. Chris Bolton added an insurance goal late in the third, on what would be a Top Ten Nominee as he dangled through the defense and made the goalie look like he's never been on skates. UNE goalie Bryan MacLure made 29 saves on the night, including shutting down a breakaway that seemed to extinguish any sort of momentum UMaine had. Congratulations to Senior Jon Moriarty who played his final home game for the Blue and White. The team's lone senior left to a crowd full of cheers and appreciation as he skated for the last time at the Biddeford Ice Arena.
On Saturday, the Women's and Men's Basketball teams had to travel to New London, New Hampshire to play TCCC rival Colby-Sawyer College. The Women's game was one of the best games of the year, as they pulled out a victory in the final seconds, 72-71. The teams were tied at the half, and then the Nor'easters came out blazing in the second half going on a 20-6 run. However, that big lead would soon turn to a deficit as they trailed by four with three minutes left. Senior Ali Gamache then hit a jumper with 21 seconds left to pull ahead by one. UNE fouled the Chargers, forcing them to hit a couple at the foul line. After only hitting one of two free throws, the game was tied at 71. With UNE having the final possession, freshman Kari Pelletier was fouled with just 2 seconds left. Pelletier hit 1 of 2, lifting UNE for the victory in an exciting Saturday afternoon match-up. The Nor'easters had four women score in double figures and forced 20 turnovers on their way to the victory. This win guarantee's a home game in the TCCC tournament.
The Men's game featured the same kind of excitement as the top two teams in the TCCC battled on Saturday. With UNE trailing by eight mid-way through the second half, the Nor'easters had to play catch up before finally taking the lead by going on a 9-0 run with less than six minutes left. UNE would hold on to that lead for the rest of the game, claiming a 81-72 win and home-court advantage throughout the TCCC tournament. This win added to the record setting streak as it now stands at 19, and gives UNE it's first 20 win in 12 years. Juice Simpson, Johnnie Jefferson, and Quentin Thompson were all in double figures, while Chas Renthrope provided help off the bench as he dumped in eight points. The Nor'easters will travel to Gordon on Wednesday to try to extend their win streak to 20 games.

It's Friday!! (2/13/09)

It's Friday!!


Finally, this week is coming to a close, no more classes, no more homework, and plenty of UNE Athletics to watch! Tonight the Men's Hockey Team will face-off against the University of Maine's club team at the Biddeford Ice Arena. The Nor'easters look to extend their current win streak to seven straight games as they end their home ice campaign. These two teams squared-off against each other two weeks ago in an exciting, high-scoring affair and the Nor'Easters came out victorious on UMaine's home ice, 10-6. UNE's high powered offense was on display that night as they had three players have multi-goal games. First year forward Chris Bolton recorded his first-ever hat-trick, and Jack Nolan and Ted Fabian tallied two each. The Nor'Easters will have to play some tougher defense this time around, as the Black Bears look for revenge on our home ice.
Tomorrow the Men's and Women's Basketball teams head to New London, N.H. to play TCCC foe Colby-Sawyer College. Both games are huge for the program as the season winds down and we head to tournament play.
The CSC Men sit right behind UNE in TCCC standings (9-1 TCCC, 17-4 overall), and are on a win streak of their own as they have been victorious in six straight games. The Chargers were the pre-season pick to win The Commonwealth Coast Conference, and they have played solid ball all year long. CSC has four men that average in double figures, and the team is coming off a 26 point win against Gordon College on Tuesday. The Nor'Easters will look to add to their record setting win streak, trying to string 19 straight. UNE is coming off a solid win at Endicott on Tuesday and will once again have the support of the Nor'Easter Nasties in New Hampshire. This game will be a battle of Goliath vs. Goliath as the fight for the Number 1 seed is still up for grabs.
The Women's game will follow the Men at 3 o'clock and won't disappoint in excitement as both teams sit in the juggernaut of top seeds in the TCCC. The Lady Chargers sit in fourth place in the league, as the Nor'Easters are tied in second after a loss to Endicott on Tuesday. UNE will look to rid the sour taste of defeat after an awful performance in Beverly, as they were blown out 85-65. Colby-Sawyer is looking to extend their win streak to three, after wins over Salve Regina and Gordon. Every game is an important one as the tournament is right around the corner.

Tuesday Night Split (2/11/09)

Tuesday Night Split


Unfortunately, one of the streaks came to an end last night in Beverly. The Women's Basketball Team had to face what it is like on the other side of the pillow as they got blown out, 85-65. The Ladies just got dominated in all aspects of the game last night, as the Gulls repeatedly beat the Nor'easters full court press on their way to countless easy buckets, and a 41-18 lead at the half. The Nor'easters were completely outsized down low, and couldn't get anything going in the paint being outrebounded by an enormous margin of 54-31. Despite outscoring the Gulls 47-44 in the second half, the Ladies were not able to overcome their terribly slow start, taking their first loss in TCCC play and ending their winning streak at 10 games. Freshman Margo Russell had 16 points and senior Sara Pelkey had 15, as they both came off the bench for the Nor'easters.
The Men's game was a different story. After getting out to a quick 11-0 start in the opening minutes, the Gulls crawled back and ended up tying the game at the half, 37-37, after hitting a mid range jumper to beat the buzzer. In the second half, UNE trailed by 1 with about eleven minutes left. As the Endicott crowd started to chant "ov-er-ra-ted" when the Gulls held their first lead, it seemed to set a fire under the Nor'easters, as they went on a rampid 20-0 run to blow the game open. That run quieted the Gulls "faithful," and sent the fifty Nor'easter Nasties that made the trip, into a tizzy. UNE had to keep their cool after guard Anthony Johnshon and Coach Jason Mulligan both picked up undeserved technicals, due to some questionable officiating as the teams combined for a total 46 personal fouls in the game.
The Nor'easters had a great team effort as 4 of the 5 starters scored in double figures. Johnson led the way with 19 points, and senior guard Steve Belmonte had 17. First-year Quentin Thompson was one rebound away from posting a double-double as he posted 14 points, and team highs 9 rebounds and 5 steals. Johnnie Jefferson chipped in with 14 points including a couple of threes to end Endicott runs, and Juice Simpson led the way for the Nor'easters dishing out 7 assists. The win extended their current streak to 18 straight games, and a perfect 10-0 in the conference.
Both the Men's and Women's Teams will play TCCC opponent Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday. The Men's game will be at 1 o'clock, and the Women's game will start at 3 o'clock.

Endicott Tonight (2/10/09)

Endicott Tonight


The University of New England Men's and Women's Basketball Teams will take on Endicott College tonight in Beverly, MA. The Nor'easters will look to keep both their streaks alive on the road.
The Men will be facing an Endicott team that has played mediocre ball all year long. The Gulls stand at 8-13 overall, 3-6 in TCCC play, and are currently on a two-game losing streak after losses to Colby-Sawyer and Regis. The lack of momentum will play against them tonight as the Nor'easters are winners of 17 straight, including a close victory over Wentworth on Saturday.
The Women's team will have a tougher game on their hands, as the Lady Gulls sit in third place in TCCC (8-1 TCCC, 17-4 overall). The Nor'easters look to build off a blowout win against Wentworth on Saturday, and extend their current win streak to 11 games. Endicott is on an 8 game win streak themselves after victories over Regis College and Colby-Sawyer. UNE will have to once again rely on their great depth and solid defense in order to pull out a win on the Gulls' court.
However, the players won't be traveling alone for this trip, UNE students will be making the trip to Beverly to cheer on the Blue and the White. This is the first time since last years Men's ECAC tournament game in Boston that the Nor'easter Nasties will travel off campus to support their home team.

We're Going Streaking! (2/9/09)

We're Going Streaking!


No, no, no, you can leave your green hats at home, we're not going that type of 'streaking,' but the UNE Athletics program is on a streak of their own, all across the board. Saturday was quite the successful day for the Nor'Easters, as 4 UNE teams were able to bring home victories.
The UNE Women's Swim Team headed out to Worcestor to hit the water against Assumption College. Due to solid performances from Lindsey Baldini and Ali Wagner, who both picked up wins in a couple events, the Nor'easters floated past Assumption 177-85. This is the Swim Team's second straight victory and their fifth out of their last six meets. These Ladies are flying under the radar due to the success of all Winter sports, but they have posted a very impressive 9-3 record.
The Women's Basketball team was victorious on Saturday, and once again doing so in a blowout fashion. This was as close to a 'perfect game' as you can get. The Nor'easters played lock down defense allowing Roger Williams University to shoot an anemic 35% from the field, and shared the ball relentlessly on offense gathering up 23 assists. Three Women were in double figures for the team, including Senior Alli Gamache who had 14 points, and reached the 1,000 point plateau for her career. This is quite a feat for Gamache, who has been a scoring threat throughout her career, especially from beyond the arc. This win pushed the Ladies current win streak to double figures as they prepare to take on the toughest part of their schedule this week. Their hot play should allow quite the contest as they take on an Endicott team that is on a streak of their own. The Gulls have won 8 straight and 14 of 15, including a win against Regis College on Saturday. UNE will play at Endicott on Tuesday night, but no worries for you Nor'easter Nasties, there will be a fan bus headed down to Beverly for both the Women's and Men's games.
If the Women's game gave you any indication of how the Men's game was going to fare, I bet you were wrong. The Nor'easters found themselves at an unusual spot, as they trailed Roger Williams by double digits, putting their historic streak in jeopardy. UNE looked lost for the first half as they were battling a great size differential. The Hawk's had 7 players listed at 6'4'' and above, with freshman Pat Flanagan standing at 6'9.'' Despite trailing by five at the break, UNE was able to overcome shooting just 30% for the game, going on a 14-2 run in the second half, pulling away with a 47-44 win. Sophomore Guard Chas Renthrope was a spark of the bench in the second half, as he swiped the ball 3 times for key possessions late in the second half. This was the lowest scoring affair of the season, but the Nor'Easters were able to extend their win streak to 17 games. The Men will look to keep that steak alive against Endicott on Tuesday night.
On the ice, the Men's hockey team tallied two wins this weekend. On Friday night, the Men traveled down to Bridgewater State College and skated away with a victory 6-2. Despite falling behind BSC in the first period, 2-0, the Nor'easters came out firing on all cylinders in the second, lighting up the red light 5 times. David Woods scored twice, and sophomore goalie Mike Roper made 23 saves, locking up the win. The team had to go north on Saturday, as they faced off with Bates College. This time, the Nor'easters got up in the first period, 2-1, and didn't look back for the rest of the game. UNE came out fast again in the second period, scoring 3 quick unanswered goals, and coasted to victory 6-4. This win makes six straight for the Men's hockey team, who are scoring at will over that streak. Through these six games, the Nor'easters have outscored opponents by a 39-19 margin. Next weekend, the team will end its regular season home campaign as they square off with the University of Maine's club team, and MIT.

Nor'easters Wallop Wentworth (2/6/09)

Nor'easters Wallops Wentworth!


On Wednesday night, both the Men's and Women's Basketball teams were able to pull of victories against the Wentworth Leopards. In the Men's game, it was never really close. UNE came out firing and jumped out to 21-12 lead, and despite a six point run by WIT, the Nor'easters never looked back. This win was the 16th straight for the Men, good enough for the longest current streak in the NCAA for D-3.
UNE star forward, Johnnie Jefferson, was battling the flu, but no one could tell as he scored 14 point and went 6-8 from the field, including a monstrous one handed jam that got the Nor'easter Nasties all riled up. Juice Simpson and Anthony Johnson also posted up double figures for UNE. Offense wasn't the only story here, however, UNE forced the Leopards to turn it over 19 times and showed great effort on the glass despite being greatly undersized.
Additionally, the Ballers finally got some support from the home crowd. The Nor'easter Nasties were out in full force for the prime time game, constantly getting on WIT starts Todd Doyle and Matt Abbott. It was obvious seeing the frustration set in, as the eyes of the tortured consistently lashed over towards the raucus callers. It was about time to see some sense of pride in the stands, considering this is one of the best sports teams in UNE history.

In the Women's game, what lacked in crowd participation, was made up for the excitement on the court. Despite holding a 12 point lead in the second half, it took clutch free throw shooting down the stretch for the Ladies to pull out the victory. The Women once again showed off their young talent and depth as they got solid performances out of freshman guard Kelley Paradis, who dumped in 13 points, and sophmore forward Carrie Bunnell who led the way with 15. Sophmore guard Chelsey Meszaros was a spark off the bench, putting in 12 points and 8 rebouds.
However, down the stretch, UNE turned to the veteran, Senior Alli Gamache. Gamache scored 10 of her 11 points in the final two minutes of the game; how's that for clutch? Gamache sunk a three with just under two minutes left to lift the Nor'Easters to the lead, and never slowed after that. The Nor'easters won 66-58, for their eighth straight win.
This Women's team can flat out play, so be sure to come out and support the Lady Ballers as they take on Roger Williams Saturday, February 7th at 1 o'clock.

GAMES TONIGHT 2/4/09

Everyone grab a friend and come to the Men's and Women's Basketball Games tonight against
Wentworth Institute of Technology!! The Women's game starts at 6pm, and the Men's game follows that at 8pm.

Welcome (2/3/09)

This is now the official blog of the University of New England Athletics.