WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Hartford women's soccer team will host #4 seed University of New England in the Conference of New England (CNE) semifinal on November 5th at 5:00 P.M.

No. 1 University of Hartford Hawks (12-3-2 Overall, 7-3-0 CNE)
No. 4 University of New England Nor'Easters (13-4-3 Overall, 6-2-2 CNE)

Game Headlines:
The Hartford women's soccer team is looking to return to the CNE Championship game, this time as the returning champion. The Hawks earned themselves a first-round bye thanks to earning the best record in the conference. During the regular season match-up, Hartford took down UNE in a 2-1 thriller away from home.
Hartford Headlines:

• The Hawks enter this match-up sporting a four-game winning streak against all CNE opposition. They have been dominant, outscoring their opponents 23-2 in that stretch. 
• Hartford's offense this season has been spearheaded by the three-headed attack of senior Rebecca Opdenbrouw (Vernon, Conn.) who has 24 total goal contributions (14 goals and 10 assists), freshman Anastasia Nerney (Glocester, R.I.) who has 20 total contributions (11 goals and nine assists), and junior captain Kathleen Brush (Wethersfield, Conn.) who has 15 contributions (nine goals and six assists).
• The Hawks' defense also seems to be peaking at the optimal time, evidenced by the fact they have only allowed two goals over this dominant four game stretch. The unit is led by senior captain Andrea Buzas (Wethersfield, Conn.) while sophomore Caroline Thomas (Stony Point, N.Y.) has been an iron woman, playing the most outfield minutes out of everyone on the team. While the back line has been superb, senior Sejal Johnson (Weddington, N.C.) has also been as reliable as any keeper in the CNE, posting a stellar 80.7% save percentage while starting every match this season for the Hawks.
• The key to Hartford's success lies in their ability to retain possession in their opponents' final third. Throughout the season, they have averaged nearly double the amount of shots per game as their opposition. This ball-retaining responsibility falls upon junior Reese Sadler (Newington, Conn.) who has been a key player in midfield for the Hawks all season. 

UNE Highlights:

• The Nor'Easters enter this semifinal clash also as winners of their last four, leaving all matches with a clean sheet and outscoring their opposition a combined 16-0 in that stretch. 
• UNE has a wide-spread attack with five separate players having netted five or more goals on the season. Senior Karley Barlisle leads the ensemble effort with seven goals and eight assists, the most goal contributions on the team, while first-year Emily Talbot has been red-hot as of late with six goals and two assists in her last four games.
• The Nor'Easters pride themselves, and rightfully so, on their stellar defense. On the season as a whole, they only concede 0.75 goals per game despite seeing almost six shots on target a game. This is a testament to the outstanding performance of keeper Haley Coombs who has 89 saves on the year and holds a save percentage of 86.4%.

All-Time Against UNE:
The Hawks are 3-0 in matchups versus the University of New England over the past three seasons. The most recent matchup earlier this season ended in a 2-1 victory for Hartford.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND:
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 10 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition, and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 20 intercollegiate sports.

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