NASHUA, N.H. – Sophomore goalkeeper Hope Winkin (Winslow, Maine) more than doubled her career save total in just one match, and Regis College finally provided enough offense to support the defense as the Pride defeated Rivier (1-2, 0-1 GNAC), 1-0, Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference field hockey match at Raider Field.
Coming into Saturday's match with 13 career saves, Winkin played the entire match for the Pride and collected 14 saves, eight in the first half and six in the second half. Rivier challenged Winkin right at the start of the match with two shots on goal in the first minute, but Winkin turned both away, and then she stood up to the Raider pressure again in the 22nd minute with consecutive saves within the span of six seconds.
Winkin was called upon to make another save 48 seconds into the second half, and then the Regis offense finally got on track, pressuring the Rivier defense. The Pride drew four penalty corners and took six shots on goal within a five-minute span, but Raider goalkeeper Emily Foster was just as good as Winkin, keeping all those shots out of the net.
Winkin continued to stymie the Raiders, and the Pride finally broke through in the 65th minute, as Aineen Callahan (Diamond Point, N.Y.) found Jillian Schneyer (Worcester, Mass.) in scoring position, and Schneyer earned her first career collegiate goal with 5:52 remaining in regulation. Rivier immediately took a timeout, but could not create any more offensive chances, as Regis avoided its third consecutive overtime contest.
Callahan, Sidney Lowe (Lancaster, Mass.), and Ashley Chipman (Stoughton, Mass.) led Regis with three shots apiece, while Rivier's Jaclyn Fraser led all players with five total shots, including four shots on goal. Foster took the loss despite making nine saves during the afternoon, while Winkin earned her first career collegiate victory and first career shutout.
It is also the first career head coaching victory for Annie Villare, who took over the Pride program after a stellar playing career at UMass Lowell and a stint as an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire. The win snapped a seven-match losing streak for the Pride that dated back to last season, with Regis last winning on Oct. 7, 2017, at Johnson & Wales in overtime, 2-1.
Regis (1-3, 1-0 GNAC) starts a three-match homestand with another conference contest, hosting Saint Joseph's College next Saturday, Sept. 15, beginning at 12 p.m. at Regis Stadium.