Field Hockey Comeback Falls Short Against Rivier

WESTON, Mass. - The Regis (Mass.) field hockey team is still searching for its first win of the season after falling to Rivier University by a score of 3-2 on Thursday afternoon.

With the win, Rivier improves to 1-3 on the season, while the Pride drops to 0-3.

The Pride had a great chance to get on the board first in the 13th minute when Aineen Callahan (Diamond Point, N.Y.) was awarded a penalty stroke, but was unable to beat Raider goalkeeper Emily Foster (West Lebanon, N.H.).

Rivier junior midfielder Brittani Garza (Alexandria, Va.) opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when she buried a rebound to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. The goal was her first of the season.

Garza's classmate MaryKate Sweeney (Chicopee, Mass.) extended the Rivier lead to two eight minutes later with her second goal of the season. After freshman midfielder Jaclyn Fraser walked in and chipped the ball past a diving Maresa Malcolm (Barrington, N.J.), Sweeney scooped up the loose ball and fired it into the empty net.

The Pride had a quick start to the second half, as Callahan capitalized on a scramble in front of the net for her second goal of the season. Sophomore midfielder Alycia LeConche (Simsbury, Conn.) was credited with the assist on the goal at the 36:35 mark.

The Raiders had a quick answer, stretching their lead back to two under five minutes later. Freshman Samantha White (Waltham, Mass.) scooped up a rebound and scored her first collegiate goal in the 42nd minute.

Regis, however, refused to go down without a fight. With 4:18 left on the clock, Kelsey Morton (South Portland, Maine) netted her first goal of the season to put the Pride right back in it. A loose ball off a penalty corner found the stick of the senior, and she made no mistake, beating the keeper on the short side. The Pride couldn't find the equalizer in the closing minutes, giving Rivier their first victory of the season.

Malcolm finished the game with seven saves in the loss, while Foster registered three saves in the victory.

Next up for Regis, they will travel to New England College for a 1:00 p.m. start on Saturday. The Raiders take the field again in a GNAC clash against Anna Maria on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

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