PRIDE TIP BLAZERS IN DOUBLE-OT

PRIDE TIP BLAZERS IN DOUBLE-OT

WESTON, Mass.Christine O'Toole (Boston, Mass.) scored in the first minute of the second overtime to propel the Regis College field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Elms College in a New England Collegiate Conference match on Saturday afternoon in Weston, Mass. The Pride wrap up the 2013 regular season at 7-10 overall and 5-1 in the NECC while the Blazers fall to 5-13 and 4-2 in league games.

Regis honored its four seniors that included O'Toole, Stacy Burns (Waltham, Mass.), Kym Kerr (Uxbridge, Mass.), and Shannon Bradish (Lawrence, Mass.) in a pre-game ceremony to thank them for their contributions to Regis College and the athletics program.

The Pride came out aggressive to open the game as they outshot Elms at a 4-1 clip in the opening 14 minutes of play. Regis finally broke through at the 19 minute mark when O'Toole dribbled the ball down the right side and played a pass to the top of the circle that found Laurie DeMars (Maynard, Mass.). DeMars kept the ball moving as she hit Yasmine Akib (Everett, Mass.) with a quick pass and the junior buried the shot on an open net to put the Pride on top 1-0.

The Regis defense would keep Elms at bay as they only attempted one more shot and two penalty corners in the first period as the Pride entered the half with a 1-0 lead.

Elms nearly found the equalizer in the 45th minute as Brianna Lyons (Canton, Mass.) fired a shot on goal that was kicked away by the Pride's Raegan Heck (Phillipston, Mass.). The rebound trickled out to Abby McNulty (Bedford, Mass.), and her blast sailed wide of the net as the score remained 1-0. McNulty would not miss a second time as she received a long crossing pass from Elizabeth Patient (Leicester, Mass.) and one-timed the shot opposite post and past Heck to make it a 1-1 game.

O'Toole nearly put the Pride on top again as she beat an Elms defender and found herself one-on-one with the Elms keeper, Samantha Alvino (Holtsville, N.Y.). O'Toole tried to go top shelf on Alvino but the sophomore sent the ball away with a blocker save. The ball found the Pride's Sam Anderson (Sandwich, Mass.) and she fed O'Toole for another shot, but Alvino made a kick save to stone O'Toole and keep the score knotted at 1-1.

Elms' Imogen Leonard (Sharon, Mass.) took the final shot of regulation, but was turned away by Heck as the game spilled into overtime.

Regis had a chance to strike first in the extra frame as Sam Anderson had an opportunity to end the game just over a minute in, but her shot ricocheted off the post and Elms cleared the ball out of the circle. Alvino and Heck were both up to the task in the rest of the extra period as they turned away every shot they faced and forced a second overtime.

In double-OT, Anderson intercepted an Elms pass and played the ball ahead to Sashae Walls (Everett, Mass.). Walls worked her way through the Blazers defense and blasted a ball on net. Christine O'Toole was waiting there as she tipped home the game-winning-goal and wrapped up the regular season for the Pride with a 2-1 victory.

Regis held a 19-10 advantage in shots as well as a 7-6 edge in penalty corners. Raegan Heck picked up her sixth win of the season while making six saves for the Pride. Samantha Alvino made 10 saves for the visitors in the setback.

Both teams now await word on seeding the New England Collegiate Conference Tournament. Semifinal games are slated to begin on Wednesday afternoon.

To view O'Toole's game-winning-goal, please click here.