Women's Soccer Falls 1-0 to UNE

WESTFIELD, Mass.  --     Westfield State's Julia Robak (Chicopee, Mass.) made nine saves for the Owls, but the University of New England made an early goal from Gillian McGee (Douglas, Mass./Whitinsville Christian) stand up for the next 87 and a half minutes as the Nor'Easters topped Westfield 1-0 in the Owls' 2025 home opener at Alumni Field on Wednesday afternoon.

McGee hammered home the rebound of a shot attempt Brooke Pierotti (Scituate, Mass.), who came down the middle unmarked on a counter attack and fired a low shot that Robak came off her line to challenge and make a sliding save.  The rebound bounced right to McGee for the goal and a 1-0 lead just 2:25 into the match.

The two teams settled into a competitive half, with much of the action in the midfield for the next 20 minutes.   Westfield's Juliana Beaulieu (Southwick Mass./Chicopee HS) whistled a shot from the middle of the penalty area that was deflected over the crossbar by Nor'Easters netminder Haley Coombs (Greenland, N.H.) to thwart the Owls' best scoring chance of the half.    UNE was whistled for six offsides flags in the opening 45 minutes as they repeatedly probed the Owls' back line looking for an insurance goal.

In the second half, the Owls best chances came when Gabby Stolfi (Newington, Conn.) played a diagonal ball into the penalty area for Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass./Douglas), but Coombs came sliding out to make the save just as Berthiaume tried to get a foot on the ball.  Beaulieu put a good shot on net a few minutes later with Coombs again being up to the task.

Coombs finished with 10 saves on the day.   Robak had three near point-blank stops in the first half to keep the Owls close.

Westfield dips to 0-2-1 on the season, while UNE is now 2-0.

Westfield will hit the road for their next three matches, next traveling to Keene State for a 4:00 p.m. kickoff next Wednesday, Sept. 10.