PRIDE CAPTURE THIRD-STRAIGHT NECC CROWN

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's lacrosse team captured their third-straight New England Collegiate Conference Championship with an 18-6 victory over Wheelock College on Sunday afternoon at Regis Stadium.

The Pride improves to 13-5 overall and have earned the program's first bid to the NCAA Tournament. Regis finds out their opponent tonight at 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. Wheelock finishes the year at 8-8 overall.

Junior Sam Salamone (Milford, Mass.) was named the Tournament MVP after scoring six goals and dishing out two assists in the Championship game. Joining her on the All-Tournament team are seniors Teresa Busiek (Arlington, Mass.) and Grace Politis (Billerica, Mass.) as well as junior Rachel Gagnon (Ashford, Conn.).

Wheelock was represented on the All-Tournament Team by Molly Koon (Londonderry, N.H.), Emma Marrs (Old Lyme, Conn.), Violet Vig (Glastonbury, Conn.), and Molly Centore (Kennebunk, Maine). Rounding out the All-Tournament Team are Becker College's Victoria Belcher and Alyssa Bond, as well as Elms College's Madison Jung and Victoria-Lynn Smith.

Regis jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the game as Sam Salamone connected on a pair of free position goals. Wheelock answered at the 20:16 mark as Molly Centore answered with a free position goal of her own to cut the deficit in half.

The Pride used an 8-0 run over the next 17 minutes of the game to stretch their lead to 10-1. Katie Haidemenos (Warwick, R.I.), Nicole Roche (Waltham, Mass.), and Salamone each scored during the run, with Politis netting two and Busiek potting three scores.

Molly Koon ended the run as she took a pass from Centore and cranked a shot past the Regis keeper to make it 10-2. Salamone scored another free position goal to go up 11-2, but Koon answered with less than a minute to play on a free position goal of her own as the game entered the half with the Pride on top 11-3.

Wheelock struck first in the opening minute of the second stanza as Koon tallied her third goal of the game to cut it to 11-4. As they had done in the first half, the Pride answered with another big run, scoring six-straight goals to go up 17-4 with 10:45 to play. Politis scored three times during the run, with Salamone adding two, and Haidemenos scoring the other.

Centore and Marrs scored back-to-back goals to make it 17-6, but the Pride's Ashley Ryan (Mashpee, Mass.) sealed the game with a free position goal to give the game its final score of 18-6.

Regis outshot the Wildcats at a 41-10 clip and held a 37-20 advantage in groundballs. The Regis defense forced 30 Wheelock turnovers, while allowing only 6-of-20 clear attempts on the day.

Emma Decker (Southborough, Mass.) picked up the win for Regis while making two saves in net. Meghan Lewis (South Berwick, Maine) made 15 saves for Wheelock in the setback.

Grace Politis finished the game with five goals, three assists, and a game-high 10 groundballs and seven caused turnovers, while Busiek had a hat-trick and one assist. Katie Haidemenos added two goals and an assist as well. Salamone, Busiek, and Sashae Walls (Everett, Mass.) each added five groundballs. Busiek and Mary Roma (Portland, Maine) had four draw controls apiece.

Wheelock was led by three goals from Molly Koon, while Molly Centore had a pair of goals and an assist. Centore led the Wildcats defense with six draw controls, with Meghan Lewis scooping up a team-high five groundballs.