Endicott Survive a Late UNE Rally to Reach an Eighth CNE Final in Nine Seasons
Endicott do not do comfortable in November. They do survive, and that’s usually enough.
The top-seeded Gulls beat fourth-seeded UNE 3-2 in Wednesday’s Conference of New England semifinal at North Field, and they’ll host No. 3 seed Roger Williams in Saturday’s championship game at 1 p.m. It’s Endicott’s eighth conference final in nine seasons. The route there was, once again, a one-goal game. That’s five straight one-goal games for Endicott in this tournament.
The first half was all Endicott. They outshot UNE 14-4 and held a 9-1 penalty-corner edge, but only led 1-0 at the break. Lily Johnson’s individual effort in the third made it 2-0, and after UNE pulled one back from a well-worked corner, Sabrina Brunet restored the two-goal lead by redirecting a Perkins blast. UNE cut it to 3-2 with 5:02 left, and then came the part that wins tournaments: Endicott’s defence of Kathleen Culmo, Kate Harris, Ella Perry and Lexi Santoro didn’t allow UNE another penalty corner or another shot. Goalkeeper Faith Minickene, who made four saves, improved to 14-4 on the season.
UNE finish 9-11, and they can hold their heads high. They twice dragged themselves back into a game Endicott were controlling. But finals are about who holds their nerve in the last five minutes, and Endicott have made a habit of it.
Roger Williams await on Saturday, and for our money the hosts start as favourites. Home field, a defence that just closed a game out cold, and a record of reaching this stage that no one else in the conference can touch. Still, a team that keeps winning by one goal is always one bounce away from a different story.
