WESTON, Mass. – Regis College held the majority of the possession and once again took significantly more shots than its opponent as the Pride held on to defeat Rivier University, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's soccer match held at Weston High School.
The Pride earned all of the early scoring chances, taking four shots within the first 11 minutes of the contest. After Regis drew a corner kick, Branden Tan's (Bodrum, Turkey) pass into the box was met by a header from Diego Roman (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), who redirected the ball into the net to put the Pride on top, 1-0.
Rivier (1-14-1, 0-8 GNAC) finally gained control of the possession in the 18th minute, with Kelvin Cortez taking the Raiders' first shot of the match. Less than two minutes later, Fred Kazalski followed up his own shot that was blocked with another opportunity and converted for his third goal of the season, tying the contest at 1-1.
The Raiders created a golden opportunity to take the lead late in the first half, but consecutive shots by Anthony Zucco in the 36th minute were turned away by Regis goalie Freddie Beckmann (Franklin, Mass.). The match remained tied at 1-1 entering halftime despite the Pride enjoying advantages in shots (12-6) and corner kicks (6-0).
Santiago Pedraza Novak (Bogota, Colombia) made his presence felt early in the second half, first taking two shots within the first three minutes of the half. In the 50th minute, Pedraza Novak raced up the right side of the field and sent a crossing pass into the box, where the head of a Raider defender redirected the ball into the net for an own goal, putting the Pride back on top, 2-1.
Grayson Owens (Marshfield, Mass.) had two chances to extend the Regis lead midway through the half, but both shots were stopped by Rivier keeper Collin Deyarmin. The Pride continued to pressure the Raider defense, but they could not convert on any opportunities, keeping the visitors within a single goal.
Rivier created two chances late in regulation to tie the match, first in the 89th minute as Cortez's long-distance shot was punched over the crossbar by Beckmann. The Raiders' last opportunity came in the final seconds as they quickly advanced the ball, but Beckmann was able to turn away Kazalski's shot from the right side of the box, preserving the victory for the Pride.
The Pride outshot the Raiders 29-9, led by Owens and Pedraza Novak with five shots apiece. Deyarmin finished with six saves for Rivier, while Beckmann collected five saves as he earned his third victory of the season.
Rivier next heads to Northfield, Vt., to face Norwich University Wednesday, Oct. 23, starting at 7 p.m., before closing the regular season with home matches against Lasell (Oct. 26) and Suffolk (Oct. 30).
Regis (4-10, 2-6 GNAC) hosts University of Saint Joseph Wednesday, Oct. 23, starting in the afternoon, with the exact time to be finalized. After a trip to Norwich to take on the Cadets Saturday, Oct. 26, the Pride conclude the regular season at home against Johnson & Wales Wednesday, Oct. 30.