Pride's Rally Falls Short in 2-1 Loss at Rivier

NASHUA, N.H. – The Regis College field hockey team traveled to Rivier University on Wednesday night for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup, where a late comeback bid came up short as the Raiders held on for a 2-1 victory at Joanne Merrill Field.

Kailey Araujo (Acushnet, Mass.) scored the lone goal for the Pride, while goalkeeper Allayna Martone (Elkridge, Md.) kept Regis within striking distance with nine saves.

For Rivier, Shaelyn Burke and Brianna Spinelli each found the back of the cage, with three different Raiders picking up assists. In goal, Lily Gifford earned the win with four saves.

How it Happened

After Martone turned away a pair of early shots, Rivier broke through in the closing seconds of the first quarter as Burke slipped one past to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead heading into the second. Regis looked to respond with five penalty corners in the frame, but the Raiders' back line and Gifford stood tall. Moments later, Spinelli doubled the Rivier advantage in the 27th minute, sending the Pride into halftime trailing 2-0.

Martone kept Regis within striking distance in the third, stopping both shots on goal to keep the deficit at two entering the final period. Just over a minute into the fourth, Araujo broke through with a goal to make it 2-1. The Pride defense held firm and Martone added another save to keep the comeback alive. With four minutes left, Anna Miele-DeFelice (Framingham, Mass.) nearly found the equalizer, but Gifford turned the attempt aside to secure the Raiders' win on their home turf.

Inside the Numbers

• Kailey Araujo tallied her first goal of the season in tonight's effort. 

Up Next

The Pride will return home this Saturday, September 27 when they host GNAC foe, Albertus Magnus at 10 a.m. The matchup is part of a full day of athletic competitions and homecoming/family activities during the college's annual Regis Fest celebration.