WESTON, Mass. – Freshman midfielder Aineen Callahan (Diamond Point, N.Y.) picked the perfect time to score her first career collegiate goal as the Regis College field hockey team defeated New England Collegiate Conference foe Becker 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday evening. With the victory, the Crimson and Gold improve to 5-5, 3-1 NECC and the loss drops the Hawks to 2-11, 1-2 NECC.
Four minutes into the extra frame, Callahan took the penalty corner from the left of the cage and crossed the ball to the box to Jenna Casello (Westborough, Mass.). Casello ripped a pass to freshman Jeszy McGuire (Brimfield, Mass.) who put a shot on net that deflected off Callahan's stick and into the net for the winning score.
The Pride netted two goals in the first half and built a sizeable lead before the Hawks staged a ferocious second half comeback.
Senior captain Laurie DeMars (Maynard, Mass.) opened up the scoring only six minutes into the contest after she buried a cross from Casello just outside the left of the net for her second goal of the season. A few minutes later Becker had an opportunity to knot up the score early in the contest, but Regis goaltender Raegan Heck (Phillipston, Mass.) stifled the one timer chance from Elysabeth Jefferies (Lisbon Falls, Maine) to keep the contest scoreless.
Regis added an insurance goal late in the first half as freshman defender Allison Petillo (Sayville, N.Y.) fired the rock towards the cage from deep and teammate Kelsey Morton (South Portland, Maine) got her stick on ball. Morton's stick deflected the attempt home for the Prides' second gino of the contest.
Becker, however didn't back down and staged a comeback cutting the Pride advantage to 2-1 four minutes into the second half. After a Hawks penalty corner, junior forward Brittney Bebeau (Harrisville, R.I.) forced a turnover as a Pride defender had the rock and set up a one-on-one opportunity with Raegan Heck. Bebeau converted the one-on-one chance for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
The Hawks kept up the pressure and tied up the game in the 61st minute after sophomore defender Amy Grenier (Westminster, Mass.) put a shot on net that was deflected by teammate Nikolle Storey (Cumberland, Maine) into the cage.
Regis had two more chances in regulation to take the lead, but were turned away by Gallo twice. Becker almost walked out of Weston with the victory as Bebeau ripped a shot from the slot off the faceoff, but was denied by Heck.
Raegan Heck earned her fifth win of the season while making nine saves in net while Gallo took the loss and stopped 13 shots.
The Pride head out on the road for a contest with Mount Ida College on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. while the Hawks head home for a home match against Daniel Webster on Sunday at noon.