WESTON, Mass. – Following a year of adjusting to a new conference, the Regis College field hockey team entered the 2018 season facing another adaptation, as Annie Villare took over as head coach just one month before the first game of the year.
Villare inherited an experienced squad with 14 returners, including seven seniors. The Pride fielded a competitive unit throughout the season, playing seven one-goal matches, but Regis could not break through in several of those contests, including three overtime losses.
Two of those overtime games came in early September, with the first one a tough loss at Framingham State in which the Pride could not hold onto an early 2-0 advantage. Two nights later, the Pride again took the early lead, but Becker tied the game early in the second half and then won it early in the second overtime session.
Regis finally earned its first victory of the year at Rivier, as Jillian Schneyer (Worcester, Mass.) scored with 5:52 remaining in regulation to give the Pride a 1-0 conference win. Hope Winkin (Winslow, Maine) made 14 saves, eight in the first half and six in the second half, to keep the Raiders off the scoreboard and earn GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors.
After two consecutive games without scoring a goal, the Pride offense found its rhythm, scoring 17 goals over the next four contests. However, Regis only won one of those four games, as an 8-1 victory over Albertus Magnus was followed by close losses to Johnson & Wales, Colby-Sawyer, and New England College. The Pride was unable to score in a tough loss to Anna Maria, and then they ran out of time before having a chance to complete a comeback at Simmons.
The Pride defeated Dean, 6-0, before losing to Lasell in what would turn out to be the season finale. Regis finished the year 3-11 overall and 1-6 within the GNAC, failing to qualify for the GNAC Tournament after ending up in seventh place in the regular season standings.
Senior Aineen Callahan (Diamond Point, N.Y.) received Second Team All-GNAC recognition after leading the Pride with eight goals and two assists for 18 total points. She notched a hat trick at Simmons, including her 30th career goal to become Regis's all-time goals leader. Callahan finished her collegiate career with 32 goals and 71 total points, just three off the school record for career points.
Ashley Chipman (Stoughton, Mass.) scored six goals in 2018, while freshman Hope Celli (Pembroke, Mass.) came on in the second half of the year with four goals and one assist. Seniors Yvonne Abate (Easton, Mass.) and Mackenzie Cattaruzza (Guilford, Conn.), along with Schneyer, collected three goals and one assist apiece during the season.
Defensively, seniors Kiana Koke (Queensbury, N.Y.) and Allison Petillo (Sayville, N.Y.) started all 14 matches, while sophomore Joslyn O'Brien (Petersham, Mass.) and freshman Sarah Tetrault (North Easton, Mass.) gained valuable experience with 10 starts apiece on the backline.
Winkin started eight matches in goal for the Pride and played almost 627 minutes, making 70 saves for a .680 save percentage. Winkin has been named one of the team captains for the 2019 season along with Chipman and midfielder Sidney Lowe (Lancaster, Mass.).
Villare and assistant coach Catherine Peters are already planning for next year after one full season in their respective roles, especially recruiting to replace the seven seniors lost to graduation. The Regis field hockey team is striving to become one of the top teams in the GNAC in 2019 and beyond.