PANAGIOTAKOS LEADS PRIDE TO 1-0 WIN

WESTON, Mass. – Regis College's Mike Panagiotakos (Methuen, Mass.) scored in the 18th minute of play off a feed from Trevor Hamilton (Winchester, Mass.), and the goal stood up as the difference maker as the Pride held on for a 1-0 victory over Anna Maria College on Monday afternoon in non-conference men's soccer action. The Pride snap a three game losing skid with the win and move to 2-4 on the year. Anna Maria falls to 1-5 with the setback.

After a slow start to the game, the Pride put their first scoring chance together in the 17th minute as Renato Rosas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) played a ball down the left side to a streaking Dillon Lanctot (Somersworth, N.H.). Lanctot played a cross into the box that Devin Brady (Springfield, Vt.) tried to flip into the top of the net, but the ball went high, and the score remained 0-0.

Panagiotakos finally broke through nearly a minute later as Trevor Hamilton flicked a header across the box that Panagiotakos headed into the top left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Lanctot had another chance nearly five minutes later as Panagiotakos sent a through ball to the sophomore forward. After a quick dribble move to his left, Lanctot tried to place a ball to the near post, but the shot missed right. Not even a minute later, Lanctot had another chance, but he again missed wide as the Anna Maria defense tried to keep it a one goal game.

In the 24th minute of play, Lanctot was taken down from behind on a breakaway, leading to a red card for the visitors and forced the AMCATS to play down a man. Even down a player, the AMCATS strung together several chances for the equalizer. Christopher Mattioli (Sturbridge, Mass.) had the best chance for AMC as he raced past the Pride back line to chase down a through pass. Regis keeper Manny Calderon (Bristol, Conn.) came way off his line and dove for the ball, snatching it away before Mattioli could get a shot on frame.

After a Regis foul in the 39th minute, Anna Maria was awarded a free kick, and Mattioli played the ball into the box to Derrick Casey (Worcester, Mass.). Casey tried to pass it opposite post to Dalton Gill (Florida, N.Y.) but the pass was a little too hard as the ball went out of play and the game reached halftime with the score 1-0.

Regis kept up the pressure with the man advantage and the one goal lead as they outshot the AMCATS 8-1 in the second period, but could not find the back of the net. Lanctot had another chance in the final 10 minutes of the game as he found himself with an open shot at the top of the box, but the ball bounced off the post and out of harm's way. A minute later, Brady beat his defender and then the keeper one on one, but his attempt to slip the ball past Elliot Kuzma (East Haven, Conn.) trickled wide and the AMCATS kept it a one goal game.

Anna Maria's best chances in the second half came off set pieces as Gregory Cory (Beacon, N.Y.) played a corner kick into the box that was destined for Zakaria Amellal (Worcester, Mass.), however the Pride's Collin Thurston (Temecula, Calif.) jumped in front and headed the ball out of the box. In the final two minutes, the AMCATS were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Jeff Fletcher (Oxnard, Calif.) got a head on it, but Devin Brady was there for the clear as the Pride controlled possession for the final minutes and hung on for the 1-0 win.

Regis held a 19-5 advantage in shots and earned six corner kicks to Anna Maria's three. Manny Calderon picked up his first win of the season with the shutout, while Patrick Thornberg (Wayland, Mass.) suffered the setback. Kuzma replaced Thornberg in the first half, and made a pair of saves.

The Crimson and Gold return to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Suffolk University for an 8:00 p.m. matchup with the Rams. Anna Maria returns home on Saturday afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. match against St. Joseph's College of Maine in GNAC action.