Women's Soccer Falls to JWU in High-Scoring Affair

WESTON, Mass. - The Regis (Mass.) women's soccer team suffered a 5-2 defeat to Johnson & Wales University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action Wednesday night at Regis Stadium.

With the loss, the Pride drops to 2-6-1 overall, 1-5-1 in GNAC play. The Wildcats stay perfect in the conference at 7-0 and 10-2 overall.

The teams played a tight first half, with both defenses keeping the game close. In the 16th minute, JWU's Deja Hursey (Columbia, Md.) appeared to have the game's first goal after she dribbled the ball around Pride goalkeeper Kyrsten Drake (Loganville, Ga.) and took a rip at net. Pride sophomore Faith Montgomery (Abington, Mass.) backed up Drake, however, stealing Hursey's shot off the goal line for a defensive save to keep the Wildcats off the board.

Shortly before the half, Johnson & Wales freshman Erin Quinty (Rutland, Mass.) scored the game's first goal on the evening, netting her second goal of the season in the 38th minute. The score would remain 1-0 until the half.

Just three minutes into the second half, the Wildcats would extend their lead to two as senior Kyra Selner (Sterling, Va.) fired a shot across her body, kissing the ball off the far post and into the net for her third goal of the season to give JWU a 2-0 lead. Less than three and a half minutes later, Hursey would get the goal that she had previously been robbed of as she hopped on a rebound to tally her 13th goal of the season.

In the 57th minute, Pride freshman Emma Mendes (Pawtucket, R.I.) ended the Wildcats' four-game shutout streak by putting home her fourth goal of the season. On what appeared to be a routine opportunity in the Johnson & Wales end of the field, Mendes had the ball deep in the left corner, but caught JWU keeper Colleen Lynch (New Milford, Conn.) off guard, chipping the ball over her head and into the net for the goal. Emily Lange (Ashland, Mass.) got credit for an assist on the goal.

Less than two minutes later, Hursey would net her second of the game to get the three-goal lead right back and put the game all but out of reach. With three minutes remaining in the game, the Pride's Payton Fitzgerald (Danielson, Conn.) and Selner would trade goals 14 seconds apart, giving the game its final score of 5-2.

Drake got credit for the loss on the evening, turning aside three shots. Lynch got the win for the Wildcats, allowing one goal and making three saves in just under 70 minutes of action.

Next up for the Pride, they will look to return to the win column when they host Albertus Magnus at noon on Saturday. The Wildcats will look to keep rolling as they take on UMass Dartmouth in non-conference action on Monday.

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