PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Regis College battled Johnson and Wales University in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Tournament, but the top seeded Wildcats eventually pulled away from the eighth seeded Pride with an 8-1 victory Saturday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.
Less than six minutes into the match, Regis goalie Allayna Martone (Elkridge, Md.) made a save on a shot by Kaitlyn Freeman, but Izzy Ward was able to corrall the rebound and convert on a shot for her 12th goal of the season.
Just over one minute later, Regis drew a penalty corner. A shot by Sarah Juskiewicz (Gorham, Maine) was turned away by Wildcat goalie Sophia Brea, but Frankie Alley (Gardner, Mass.) collected the rebound, cut across the crease, and scored her 13th goal of the season.
Johnson and Wales (15-2) took the lead for good 3:21 into the second quarter on a goal by Ava Pontes. The Pride created an opportunity later in the quarter to bring the match back into a tie, but a shot by Anna Miele-DeFelice (Framingham, Mass.) was turned away by Freeman for a defensive save.
Pontes would assist on a goal by Margaret Johnson with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 3-1 halftime advantage. Pontes and Johnson connected again less than two minutes into the third quarter to extend the home team's lead to 4-1, but Martone kept the match close with five saves in the period.
The Wildcats finally pulled away with four goals in the fourth quarter, led by Johnson with an assist and her third goal of the contest. Johnson and Wales would finish with a 19-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 15-2 advantage in penalty corners.
Martone finished with 10 saves, eight of them coming in the second half, while Olivia Bell (Poland, Maine) collected a defensive save for the Pride. Brea earned the victory for the Wildcats with three saves.
Regis College sees its season conclude with a 5-13 overall record, including a 5-7 mark within the GNAC. Johnson and Wales will host New England College in a semifinal match Wednesday, Nov. 1, starting at 4 p.m.