Pilgrims Navigate Past Pride, 14-8

Photo Courtesy of Liam Frament '29

WESTON, Mass. — The Regis College women's lacrosse team wrapped up its three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, hosting Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent New England College at Regis Stadium. Despite a strong start from the Pride, the Pilgrims pulled away for a 14-8 victory, dropping Regis to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Serenity Ayala led the Pride offensively with two goals and two assists, while Maddie Sainato recorded a hat trick and Molly Higgins added a pair of goals. On the defensive end, Anna Theriault and Audrey Mason each caused three turnovers, and Daniela Mazo made 10 saves in net.

Riley Davis powered the Pilgrims with a six-goal performance, while Meadow Gilchrist contributed three goals and three assists. Camryn Coutts also tallied three goals in the win, and Tatum Villa finished with four saves between the pipes.

How it Happened

The Pride opened the scoring with a free-position goal from Sainato before the Pilgrims answered to even the game. Higgins then put the Pride back in front, finishing off a feed from Ayala. Ayala then closed the quarter with a tally of her own in the final minute, giving the Pride a 3-1 lead after one.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter as the Pilgrims netted a pair of early goals to even the score at 3-3. Sainato answered at the 11:11 mark to briefly put the Pride back in front, and Ayala later restored the lead once more. However, the Pilgrims surged late in the half, stringing together three unanswered goals, including two from Riley Davis, to take a 7-5 advantage into the break.

The Pilgrims carried that momentum into the third, striking twice in a 20-second span to extend their lead. Higgins responded with her second goal of the game, finishing another setup from Ayala to make it 9-6 with just under eight minutes to play in the quarter. The Pilgrims added two more down the stretch, while Audrey Mason provided the Pride's lone response with a strong individual effort, slipping past a defender and finishing cleanly to make it 11-7 heading into the final period.

Defensively, the Pride held firm early in the fourth before Mackenzie McDonald broke through from distance, finding the back of the net to extend the Pilgrims' lead to 12-7 with 7:35 remaining. Sainato converted her second free-position opportunity to halt the run, but the Pilgrims maintained control in the closing minutes, pulling away for a 14–8 final.

Inside the Numbers:

• Molly Higgins recorded her first tallies of the season. 
• Maddie Sainato recorded her sixth career hat trick and second of the season. 
• Daniela Mazo's 10 saves marks the second time this season the senior has reached double digits.

Up Next

The Pride are back on the road this Wednesday, March 25, making the short trip to cross-town rival Lasell University for a 5:00 p.m. matchup.