Pride Drops NECC Opener to Elms

WESTON, Mass. - Elms College junior forward Brie Voight (Springfield, Mass.) scored what proved to be the game-winner in the third minute on Saturday afternoon, as the Regis (Mass.) women's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to the Blazers in both teams' New England Collegiate Conference opener.

With the loss, the Pride falls to 3-3-0 (0-1-0 NECC) on the season, while Elms improves to 5-1-1 (1-0-0 NECC).

On what appeared to be a broken play at the top of the 18-yard box, an attempted Regis headed clearance found Voight all alone. The forward walked in and tapped it past Pride goalkeeper Amanda Matias (Ludlow, Mass.) to give Elms the 1-0 lead just 2:43 in. The goal was Voight's team-leading sixth of the season.

Matias made perhaps her save of the season in the 29th minute to keep the deficit at just one. After a Mackenzie LaRochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) free kick slammed the crossbar, a down-and-out Matias recovered to make a diving stop on the rebound off the foot of Elms freshman Haley Richard (Monson, Mass.). The save was one of Matias' seven in the loss.

Matias came up large once again ten minutes later when she denied Rachel Mick (Granby, Mass.) on a penalty kick. Matias guessed correctly, diving to her left to come up with another big save.

In the 68th minute, Elms had a change of fortune on their second penalty kick of the game. After a Regis hand ball inside the box, Blazers sophomore Kelsey Shea stepped up and buried her first goal of the season. Shea powered the ball into the bottom right corner of the net, leaving a stunned Matias frozen.

Elms goalkeeper Rebecca Molin (West Hartford, Conn.) made one save in the victory. It was her fourth clean sheet in just six games this season.

Next up for the Pride, they hit the road to take on Dean College on Monday at 4:00 p.m. Elms returns to the pitch for a road matchup against Western New England at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

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