Springfield, Mass. – September 23, 2026 – The Springfield College field hockey team defeated Western New England, 3-1, on Wednesday evening at Golden Bear Stadium.
The Pride improve to 5-2 with the win, while the Golden Bears fall to 6-2.
Ava Coppola (Southington, Conn.) scored her sixth goal of the season, while Rachel Simkewicz (Westminster, Mass.) recorded two assists. Both student-athletes rank among the top three goal scorers in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), with Simkewicz leading the conference with eight goals.
After a scoreless first quarter, Western New England struck first, scoring two minutes into the second quarter. Springfield answered ten minutes later when Coppola found the back of the cage to tie the game, with Simkewicz picking up an assist on the score.
The Pride took the lead late in the third quarter when Maddie O'Brien (Marlborough, Mass.) scored her first goal of the season, putting home a pass from Simkewicz to give Springfield a 2-1 advantage. Amber Wolkner (Farmington, Conn.) added an insurance goal in the final four minutes of the match to secure the 3-1 Pride victory. Sarah Goldstein (Cheshire, Conn.) picked up an assist on the final goal.
Springfield outshot Western New England, 13-8, while both teams recorded five penalty corners. Sam Orcutt (Forestdale, Mass.) made four saves in goal for the Pride.
The Pride return to NEWMAC play against WPI at home on Saturday, September 26 at 11:00 am.
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