Pride Field Hockey Comeback Attempt Runs Out of Time

WESTON, Mass. - Regis College put together a rally that spanned the end of the third quarter and the entire fourth period, but the Pride ran out of time as Rivier University held on for a 3-2 victory Tuesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) field hockey match at rainy Regis Stadium.

Down 3-0, the Pride put together an offensive threat in the final minute of the third quarter, drawing three penalty corners. On the third one started with seven seconds remaining on the clock, Ava Costello (North Easton, Mass.) found Frankie Alley (Gardner, Mass.) in the middle of the field, and Alley sent a shot into the net right before the buzzer for her ninth goal of the season.

In the fourth quarter, Regis drew another penalty corner chance with 5:02 left in regulation, and Sarah Juskiewicz (Gorham, Maine) sent the ball from the left side of the field towards the net. Belle Celli (Pembroke, Mass.) redirected it into the net for her first goal of the season, closing the Pride deficit to one with 4:53 remaining in the period.

Rivier was able to maintain possession for most of the remaining time, creating two penalty corner opportunities of their own in the final minute of regulation. Regis did regain possession and drive up the field in the final seconds, but the final buzzer sounded before any more scoring chances developed.

The Raiders struck first 6:46 into the contest as Jacklyn O'Connor sent a ball towards goal and Kayla Miles redirected it into the net for her fifth goal of the season. Both teams enjoyed scoring opportunities throughout the rest of the first half, but the score remained 1-0 in Rivier's favor heading into halftime.

Just over three minutes into the second half, Miles picked up her second goal of the match off an assist from Sydney Spenard. Four minutes later, the Raiders once again pressured the Pride defense, as O'Connor was stopped twice by Regis goalie Jocelyn White (Wilmington, Mass.) before finally converting on her third shot to extend the Rivier advantage to 3-0 midway through the third period.

White finished with four saves while Rivier goalie Olivia Boucher collected two saves as she picked up her fourth victory of the season. The Raiders outshot the Pride, 18-8, led by O'Connor with six shots and Miles with four shots.

Regis College (3-7, 3-2 GNAC) heads to West Hartford, Conn., to face University of Saint Joseph Friday, Oct. 7, beginning at 7 p.m. Rivier (4-6, 3-2 GNAC) makes the trip to Providence, R.I., to take on Johnson and Wales Saturday, Oct. 8, starting at 1 p.m.