By Jason Alwang
The Golden Bears did it. The Western New England women’s ice hockey team defeated Curry College to capture their first CCC (Commonwealth Coast Conference) title and cement themselves into history. The Golden Bears won the game 5-3 inside the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield in what was a thrilling and chaotic victory on Saturday, March 2.
“Winning the CCC Championship is such a special achievement in our program’s young history,” said head coach Katie Zimmerman, speaking about how much the victory means to the program. “We’ve always discussed our vision of ‘championships’ here at WNE, and we’re so proud to have brought home a trophy in just our 3rd season of competition.”
The game wasn’t easy, however. Curry dominated the first period, firing 14 shots on goal to the Golden Bears’ five. Despite being outshot, however, WNE goaltender Jesse Gerelli limited the Colonels to just two goals and Alyssa Murphy scored a goal off the rush late in the first to cut Curry’s lead to 2-1. “They definitely brought it to us in the opening period,” said junior forward Katie Cronin, “but we knew that we could [come back] because we’ve brought resilience and drive every time we step out onto the ice.”
The second period was a completely different story, with Western New England firing 17 shots on Curry’s net while holding their opposition to only seven shots. Though Curry scored early to extend their lead, the Golden Bears responded quickly. Just over a minute after Curry’s third goal, Abby Hay took a pass from Maddy Tucker during a power play to cut the Colonels’ lead to 3-2. Then, with less than four minutes left in the prior, the Bears took advantage of another power play. Jenna Lynch scored off another feed from Tucker, tying the game at 3-3 heading into the final period.
The atmosphere in the arena during the final period was electric. Both teams played evenly until Curry was hit with a five-minute major penalty for boarding, setting up the Bears for a prime opportunity to take the lead. Western New England didn’t waste the power play, with Zoe Galanoudis punching in a goal to give the Bears their first lead, 4-3. A few minutes later, Kelly Yorkey scored – the Golden Bears’ fourth goal on a power play – to make it 5-3. The defense withstood Curry’s last-ditch efforts, and as the clock hit zero, the team’s fans in the arena broke into a wild celebration.
“Every single member of this year’s team played an integral role in bringing home the hardware,” said Zimmerman, “and I couldn’t be prouder to be able to work with such incredible people.”
Zimmerman sends a message to the WNE community and remembers what she and the women’s ice hockey team accomplished in their first three years. “I will never forget what we were able to experience together – on home ice! – when we won the CCC championship. Thanks to Golden Bear Nation for supporting us in full force all season!”
