The University of New England sports teams are known as the Nor’easters. Last Saturday they could have been known as the Good Samaritans.

The UNE women’s soccer team, on its way home from a game at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, turned around and picked up the members of the St. Joseph’s College women’s soccer team, which was stranded on the Massachusetts Turnpike after its bus broke down returning from a game at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut.

“If you were in their position, you would want someone to come to your aid,” said UNE Coach Heather Davis. “It’s not like they were just 15 minutes from home, they were a long way away. It kind of seemed the right thing to do.”

It was certainly appreciated. St. Joe’s day was already glum after a 4-3 loss to Albertus Magnus in double overtime. Then, just after they passed the Charlton rest area – about 20 minutes west of Worcester – the bus had to pull over to the breakdown lane. St. Joe’s Coach Jenelle Harris said the driver contacted a mechanic, but the bus couldn’t be repaired. There was a severe coolant leak.

All the time, the bus company officials were seeking another option. That’s where UNE came in.

The Nor’easters were just passing through Worcester when their bus driver got a call about the breakdown. After talking with Davis, it was decided that they would turn around. The alternative included sending another bus from Maine to pick up St. Joe’s. That would have taken about three hours.

“It was actually a little funny,” said Harris. “Heather called me on my cell and I’m thinking, ‘Why is she calling me?’

“Then she says, ‘This is your friendly bus rescue service.’ ”

Davis and Harris are friends. And many of the players on the two teams knew each other in high school, either as teammates or opponents.

UNE’s bus eventually pulled behind the St. Joe’s bus – “Maybe 45 minutes after we stopped,” said Harris – and the Monks players filed onto the bus. Then their equipment was loaded on as well.

“It was nice, they had already moved to the front of the bus,” said Harris. “We had the back half and it was a smooth transition. And then we enjoyed a movie on the ride home with UNE.”

UNE was dropped off first, then St. Joe’s. Their days were extended by about 90 minutes.

“It could have been worse, a lot worse,” said Harris. “And we would have done the same had the roles been flipped, we would have helped them out.”

UNE AD Jack McDonald was more pleased with the team’s response to St. Joe’s dilemma than he was with the Monks’ 2-0 win over Nichols that day.

“I say it all the time, in sports someone wins and someone loses, but in community service, everybody wins,” he said. “We have a good friend and neighbor in St. Joe’s and I couldn’t be prouder of our coach and team. And the bus company too.”

“It was also nice that the (UNE) bus driver was able to accommodate them as well,” said Davis. “It made for a longer day. I think everybody involved sort of chipped in.”

Davis said there were many factors involved that made the “rescue” possible: the game’s starting time (delayed 20 minutes because of a late-arriving official who was caught in traffic), the proximity of the busses and the size of UNE’s bus.

“Typically we take a 34-passenger bus,” she said. “For whatever reason, we had a 54-passenger bus that day. So a lot of stars had to be aligned for that to happen.”

FIELD HOCKEY

University of Southern Maine junior goalie Amanda Kasbohm of York was named the Little East Conference goalkeeper of the week. She made 26 saves in two games as the Huskies went 1-1. She had 12 saves in a 1-0 shutout of previously unbeaten UMass-Dartmouth.

• Saint Michael’s College freshman Maddy Dobecki of Scarborough scored her first collegiate goal in a 2-1 victory over Franklin Pierce.

• Anna Maria College senior Kylie Dalbec of Portland was named Great Northeast Athletic Conference player of the week. She had three goals and an assist in a 2-0 week for the AMCATS. She has eight goals and five assists to lead Anna Maria (8-4) in scoring this year.

FOOTBALL

Tufts University senior wide receiver Jack Cooleen of Falmouth was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference offensive player of the week. Cooleen caught seven passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-16 victory over Bates. His touchdown receptions covered 45 and 27 yards. Cooleen has caught nine passes for 200 yards in two games, averaging 22.2 yards per catch.

• Bentley University senior defensive tackle Jeff Amell of Buxton (Bonny Eagle) has seven tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Falcons (2-3).

GOLF

St. Joseph’s College freshman Cam Letourneau of Hebron was named ECAC co-rookie of the month for September. Letourneau has been St. Joe’s leading scorer in five of six tournaments with an average score of 74.5 per round.

• Bentley senior Malcolm Oliver of Damariscotta (Lincoln Academy) finished fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference championships by shooting a 72-71-143 at the En Joie Golf Course in Endicott, New York. Oliver had six birdies to earn first-team all-conference honors.

SOCCER

St. Joseph’s senior Scott Benner of Post Falls, Idaho, was named GNAC men’s goalkeeper of the week. He made four saves in a 3-0 victory over Albertus Magnus.

TENNIS

Endicott College freshman Margot Andreasen of Portland was honored on the all-Commonwealth Coast Conference women’s team. Andreasen was a first-team doubles selection and a second-team singles selection.

VOLLEYBALL

Bowdoin College senior outside hitter Christy Jewett of Sunnyvale, California, was named NESCAC player of the week. She helped the Polar Bears to three wins, averaging 4.08 kills and 2.92 digs per set. Jewett is now in second place all time at Bowdoin in career kills (1,137).

• St. Joseph’s senior middle blocker Felicia Wachowiak of Milton, New Hampshire, was named GNAC offensive player of the week. She broke the school record for career kills in a 3-0 victory over Husson. She averaged 4.2 kills per set in a 3-1 week for the Monks.