WNE Athletics Season in Review
WNE Men’s Soccer Reaches NCAA Tournament for First Time in Seven Years
The Western New England men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2016 under ninth-year head coach Devin O’Neil. Despite a 1-4-2 record to open the season, WNE came around to finish 5-1-2 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play to earn the top spot in the playoff round. WNE opened the semifinal round with a thrilling victory over the Rams of Suffolk University, needing penalty kicks to decide a winner as the Golden Bears came away with a 4-3 shootout victory to advance to the CCC Championship game. WNE matched with Roger Williams University, again needing penalty kicks, where the Golden Bears came away with a 5-4 victory in the shootout to win their first CCC Championship in seven years. WNE then competed in their first NCAA Championship since the 2016 season, falling on the road to fourth-ranked Middlebury College by a final score of 3-0. The Golden Bears finished the 2023 season with a 6-6-7 record, including a 4-1-4 mark on home grass.
WNE Field Hockey Records Best Season in Nearly 20 Years
Western New England field hockey started off the season with nine straight wins, a new program record, while going on to finish the season with 14 wins, their most in the program since the 2006 season. WNE allowed just five goals through their first nine games of the season, recording five shutouts over that span. The nine-game win streak was highlighted by an upset victory over the 12th-ranked Engineers of Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Golden Bear Stadium, where the Golden Bears came away with a 1-0 double overtime victory. Sophomore goalkeeper Ella Henry played in 18 games this season for WNE, recording 81 saves and a .844 save percentage, which ranked top among qualifying goalkeepers in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) and seventh overall in NCAA Division III. Henry and three others grabbed All-CCC recognition at the end of the season, including top scorer, sophomore Haley Kaczka, who registered 13 goals and three assists this season, good for 28 total points on the year.
Football Hosts Second New England Bowl Game, Defeats UMass-Dartmouth 37-7
The Western New England football team completed their regular season schedule with a 7-3 record, winning their last four regular-season games. The Golden Bears were selected to compete in a New England Bowl Game for the second time in program history. WNE matched with Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference’s runner-up, UMass-Dartmouth, in the Bowl Game. WNE capped off their season with a win in the game, coming away with a 37-7 victory. Senior Jake Chiasson recorded 11 tackles in the win, notching five total tackles for loss and four total sacks, earning the New England Bowl MVP. The Golden Bears finished the season on a five-game win streak, defeating opponents 206-78 during that span.
