During winter break, the women’s basketball and ice hockey teams slowly got into a hopeful groove when they played over the New Year and began their run of Conference games. Women’s Basketball reached the last day of fall classes at a record of 6–5, needing some breathing room to say the least.
On Dec. 17, the weekend before finals, they played their third conference game against Rhode Island College, losing 55–65. They showed the difficulties in maintaining balance as a student-athlete, as well as the need to refine team dynamics.
Nevertheless, once exams were over and they were able to focus on the court full-time, things began to change. During their following game against Eastern Nazarene College on New Year’s Eve, players began these plans by tying the first quarter 11–11.
In the second quarter, they gained a 28-point advantage at the half and took off from there, winning 70–38. Their game against Eastern Nazarene marked the last non-conference game of their season.
When it came time to play their following game against Castleton University on Jan. 4, the Beacons fought hard against the Trojans. They stayed neck and neck, but ultimately lost a heartbreaker in overtime by a final score of 61–71.
Their attempts to improve began to show meaningful results on Jan. 7, during their LEC game against Plymouth State University. Although they were losing by a score of 19–20 at halftime, they gained a seven-point advantage by the third quarter, finally winning their first conference game with a 20-point victory of 55–35.
On Jan. 11, they faced their foes at UMass Dartmouth, once again neck and neck, this time with the Corsairs, in the first three quarters. Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, UMass Dartmouth pulled away with a seven-point victory, defeating the Beacons 75–82 (1), and putting the woman’s Basketball team at a dismal 1–5 record for conference games and an 8–8 record overall. (2)
Woman’s hockey finished Fall 2022 underwhelmingly, with a .500 conference record at 3–3, and an overall record of 5–7 prior to the end of the semester.
Unlike most UMass Boston sports that play under membership to the LEC, the men’s and women’s hockey team play for the New England Hockey Conference (3).
On New Year’s Eve, they took the ice against Amherst College at 3 p.m. The game began close, with the Beacons trailing 2–1 after the first period. However, Amherst College was consistent in scoring two goals in each of the latter two periods, defeating the Beacons 6–1. (4)
On Jan. 6, the Beacons played their first home game since Dec. 10 against Castleton University. This game also marked the beginning of their conference games. UMass Boston outshot the Spartans 69–40, however, only two of those shots were able to make it past the goal line.
On the other hand, UMass Boston goalie and number 33, Leah Bosch, saved 24 out of 27 shots. Sadly, the three missed saves meant defeat for the Beacons, dropping the game 3–2. (5)
The following day, on Saturday Jan. 7, they faced Plymouth State university. During the first period, Plymouth State scored the first goal. UMass Boston’s Adriana Crepaldi responded quickly and tied the game, marking the first goal of her collegiate career.
Before it was over, the Panthers scored another goal taking the lead. This didn’t frighten the Beacons who came back strengthening their defense. They also implemented the strategy of consistency Amherst college had used to defeat them, scoring in each of the three periods and claiming a 3–2 win for their first victory since Dec. 2.
The third goal that made them victorious was the most eye-catching. Liz Kramp sped through the middle of the ice on her own. She maintained great control of the puck and after a quick deviation around the net, she powerfully slammed the puck home for the lead. (6) The win placed the women’s ice hockey team with an even 4–4 record for conference games, along with an overall score of 6–9.
From now until the middle of February, both UMass Boston teams will play ten conference games. If they continue showing consistency, they give hope for a successful season. Hopefully the spring 2023 semester brings more wins for the Beacons in light of the end of their seasons coming up and playoffs coming just around the bend.
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