Pride Women’s Lacrosse Ready to Enter 2019 Season
WESTON, Mass. – Coming off the program's seventh straight winning season, the Regis College women's lacrosse team enters the 2019 season expecting to contend for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title.
After posting an overall record of 13-5, including 7-3 within the GNAC, and advancing to the conference tournament semifinals, sixth-year head coach Courtney Duggan welcomes back 13 returners, with six newcomers joining the squad. Among the newcomers are three players who transferred in from Mount Ida College and were part of a Mustang unit that also posted a 7-3 GNAC record in 2018.
Five of Regis's top six scorers from last season are back, led by junior Kerri Anselmo (Natick, Mass.), a Second Team All-GNAC selection who collected 61 goals and 20 assists for the Pride in 2018. Fellow junior Brooke Ross (Hanover, Mass.) finished with 29 goals, senior Malorie Kiehl (Burlington, Mass.) earned 23 goals last year, and Emily Kosak (Milton, Mass.) contributed 14 goals along with 35 ground balls and 32 draw controls.
Rachel Nadeau (Coventry, Conn.), also a Second Team All-GNAC honoree last season, is expected to lead the Pride defense after finishing with 43 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers in 2018. Maddy Rodriguez (Amherst, Mass.) started all 18 matches for Regis last year as a defender, with senior Kiana Koke (Queensbury, N.Y.) and junior Mary Costantino (Abington, Mass.) also providing experience for the Pride defense.
With the graduation of 2018 GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year Maresa Malcolm, the goalie duties now belong to sophomore Brittany McPherson (Lynn, Mass.), who appeared in eight matches last season and earned victories over Fitchburg State and Wheelock. McPherson made 13 saves against the Falcons and 12 saves while allowing just five goals against the Wildcats.
Among the transfers from Mount Ida is senior Alyssa Kelly (Lee, Mass.), the 2018 GNAC Midfielder of the Year after leading the conference with 80 goals and 123 total points. Junior Meghan Sargent (Brattleboro, Vt.) also earned First Team All-GNAC honors last year and will add more experience to the Regis backline, while sophomore Jordyn Ringuette (Colchester, Conn.) scored 30 goals in 16 matches for the Mustangs in 2018.
Regis opens the 2019 campaign with three straight road contests, starting Tuesday, Feb. 26, at UMass Dartmouth, a team coming off an 11-7 season in 2018. The Pride open their home schedule two weeks later, welcoming Utica to Regis Stadium March 12, and then they start their GNAC schedule against Norwich Saturday afternoon, March 16.
In the GNAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll, Regis ended up in fourth place with 101 points, just ahead of fifth place Simmons at 95 points. Two-time defending GNAC champion Johnson & Wales was selected as the preseason favorite with nine first place votes and 138 total points, followed by Lasell with two first place votes and 132 points and Saint Joseph's College with one first place vote and 118 points. The Pride host Lasell Wednesday evening, March 27, travel to face Saint Joseph's College Saturday, April 6, and end the season against Johnson & Wales at home Wednesday, April 24.
The top eight teams in the final regular season standings will move on to the GNAC Tournament, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Saturday, April 27. The two highest remaining seeds will host the semifinals Wednesday, May 1, followed by the championship match Saturday, May 4.