WESTON, Mass. - Coaches of the eight fall Regis (Mass.) Athletics teams announced their 2018 competition schedules on Friday afternoon.
The 2018 season will get under way for the Pride on August 31, with the men's and women's cross country teams taking part in the Wellesley Invitational at the Nehoiden Golf Course at 4 p.m. Also on the 31st, the field hockey team will travel to Western Connecticut State, while the women's volleyball team will host Eastern Connecticut State for 7 p.m. starts.
Two teams will open their 2018 seasons the following day on September 1, as the Pride women's tennis team hosts Lesley University at 11 a.m., while the women's soccer team makes the long road trip to UMaine Farmington at 2 p.m. September 2 will see the men's soccer team hold its season opener on the road at Lesley, while the men's tennis team becomes the last fall team to open its season at home on September 6 against Stonehill.
Men's & Women's Cross Country - Men's Full Schedule | Women's Full Schedule
Head coach Kourtney Bonsey will enter her third season at the helm of Regis men's and women's cross country and track and field in 2018, and her cross country squads will look to build on a historic opening season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference that saw the men's team take home third and the women fourth at the conference meet. Just as they did a year ago, the men's and women's teams will each participate in seven meets this season.
Meet to watch: GNAC Championships - Oct. 27, Saint Joseph's College (Me.), 11 a.m.
Both teams made waves at last season's GNAC Championships, finishing above the positions they had been picked in the GNAC Pre-Championship Coaches Poll. Having made a solid name for themselves last season, the Pride men and women will look to cement their positions as serious contenders for the GNAC crown.
Field Hockey - Full Schedule
After a heart-breaking defeat in its final game of the regular season a year ago eliminated the Pride from postseason contention, the Regis field hockey team will be looking to rebound and earn a berth into the GNAC Tournament for the first time ever. The Pride will open year two in the conference with a September 8 contest against Rivier University, who the Pride battled to a thrilling shootout victory a year ago.
Game to watch: Regis vs. Johnson & Wales - Sept. 29, Regis Stadium, 11 a.m.
The field hockey team kicks off a jam-packed day of action at Regis Stadium for Regis Fest with a matchup against the JWU Wildcats. When the two teams played last season, the Wildcats led nearly wire-to-wire before Aineen Callahan (Diamond Point, N.Y.) evened the score with under seven minutes to play, forcing overtime. Less than a minute and a half into the extra session, Ashley Chipman (Stoughton, Mass.) sealed the victory with a golden goal, setting up what is sure to be a top-notch rematch this season.
Women's Volleyball - Full Schedule
The busiest of the 2018 fall teams is the Regis women's volleyball team, with 27 matches on its schedule. The women's volleyball squad has the honor of hosting the first Regis home contest of the 2018-19 season, the first ever meeting in the sport between Regis and Eastern Connecticut State. The Pride will open GNAC play two weeks later, hosting perennial conference power Rivier on September 13.
Match to watch: Regis vs. Lasell - Sept. 26, Higgins Court, 6 p.m.
The Pride saw its 2017 season come to a close at the hands of the Lasers a year ago, and will seek revenge against their nearby neighbors when Lasell makes the short trip down Route 30 on Sept. 26. Lasell took both meetings between the two schools last season, including a sweep of the Pride in the GNAC Quarterfinals on Oct. 31.
Women's Tennis - Full Schedule
The Pride women's tennis team will play its first campaign under head coach Andy White in 2018, and looks to improve on a season that saw them advance to the GNAC Semifinals. The squad finished the regular season as the number two seed in the GNAC, the highest of any Regis athletic program in a head-to-head sport. Injuries plagued the Pride in its first GNAC Tournament appearance, as Regis fell to Simmons by a score of 5-1. The rematch between the Pride and the Sharks is scheduled for Sept. 22.
Match to watch: Regis vs. Eastern Nazarene - Sept. 8, Regis Tennis Center, 12 p.m.
The first Pride GNAC contest of the 2018-19 academic year across all sports takes place at the Regis Tennis Center, as the new associate GNAC tennis members from Eastern Nazarene visit Weston. Former conference foes when both teams were members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the Regis-Eastern Nazarene matchup is the second-most contested rivalry in the history of Regis women's tennis, with the Lions holding a 24-10 advantage dating back to 1994. Eastern Nazarene took last season's non-conference battle by a score of 6-3 on Sept. 12.
Women's Soccer - Full Schedule
Last season, the Pride women's soccer program put itself in the Regis record books, recording the first GNAC win in school history over Mount Ida on Sept. 6. The Pride, however, failed to qualify for GNAC postseason play, but will look to make a run toward the tournament when it opens conference play on Sept. 8 on the road against Suffolk.
Game to watch: Regis vs. Norwich - Oct. 10, Regis Stadium, 6 p.m.
The Pride picked up a thrilling 3-1 win on the road at Norwich last season, and will look to make it victories in back-to-back seasons over Norwich as the Cadets make their first ever visit to Weston on Oct. 10. In last season's meeting, then-freshman Payton Fitzgerald (Danielson, Conn.) tallied a goal and an assist, while classmate Brianna Gaynor (Peabody, Mass.) recorded a pair of assists.
Men's Soccer - Full Schedule
The Pride men's soccer team was the first Regis team to win a GNAC postseason game, upsetting fourth-seeded Mount Ida in the GNAC Quarterfinals 3-1 on Oct. 29. Nationally-ranked Saint Joseph's (Me.) took care of the Pride in the GNAC Semifinals, however, upending the fifth-seeded Regis 6-0. The Pride will visit Standish, Maine looking to avenge the loss on Sept. 22.
Game to watch: Regis vs. Colby-Sawyer - Oct. 20, Regis Stadium, 1 p.m.
In the final day of GNAC competition, there will be heavy postseason implications on the line as the Pride hosts Colby-Sawyer in a matchup of the GNAC's two newest members. The two teams have not met since 2010, but could be a potential postseason preview, as Colby-Sawyer advanced to last season's North Atlantic Conference Championship.
Men's Tennis - Full Schedule
The men's tennis program will be the final team to open its 2018 season when they kick off their non-conference fall season. The Pride will have its work cut out for it on the fall, with three of its nine matches against Division II opponents. Regis will compete in its conference season in the spring of 2019.
Match to watch: Regis vs. St. Michael's - Sept. 28, Regis Tennis Center, 3 p.m.
The final of the Pride's three matches against opponents from Division II, the Pride hosts St. Michael's for the first time in program history to open up Regis Fest. The match will be played on Friday afternoon, a day before a full slate of games from five of the other Regis fall teams.
All schedules are subject to change. Stay up to date on all of the schedules and potential changes by following @GoRegisPride on Twitter and Instagram, as well as by checking GoRegisPride.com.