Women’s Soccer Loses in GNAC Tournament Quarterfinal

STANDISH, Maine - For the second straight week, Regis College was forced to play from behind as Saint Joseph's College took the early lead and held on to defeat the Pride, 3-1, Saturday afternoon in a quarterfinal match of the 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Tournament at the SJC Athletics Complex.

Each team created scoring chances early in the match, starting with two shots on goal by the Monks within the first three minutes that were stopped by Regis goalie Daniela Mazo (Bridgeport, Conn.). After a shot by Hailey Lovell (Wakefield, Mass.) was turned away by Monk keeper Carly Downey, the home team went on the counterattack, and Aaliyah Wilson-Falcone scored the first goal of the match in the seventh minute to give Saint Joseph's College the early lead.

In the 27^th minute, the Monks once again gained possession after a Regis shot, this time by Sara Costa (Ludlow, Mass.), was stopped by Downey. Saint Joseph's College created a corner kick opportunity, and Lelia Weir found Sydney Gallop in the box, with Gallop scoring to increase the Monk lead to 2-0.

Both teams continued to pressure their opponent's defense, with a shot by Aria Ulmer (Henniker, N.H.) hitting the crossbar in the 30^th minute, followed by a scoring attempt by SJC's Madison Michaud striking the right post in the 35^th minute. As time wound down in the first half, Downey prevented Olivia Dench (Center Moriches, N.Y.) and Elisa D'Sa (Bellmore, N.Y.) from scoring, keeping the Monks on top heading into halftime.

Just over nine minutes into the second half, Regis would finally break through as Lovell picked up her eighth goal of the season to cut the Monk lead in half. The action continued to move back and forth, with Saint Joseph's College earning an insurance goal in the 82^nd minute when Wilson-Falcone collected another tally off an assist from Shauna Clark.

Saint Joseph's College (9-8-1) outshot Regis, 17-11, including an 11-6 advantage in shots on goal as well as a 10-3 advantage in corner kick opportunities. Mazo finished with seven saves in the contest while Downey collected five saves. Michaud led the Monks with six total shots, and Lovell paced the Pride with four shots.

Regis College concludes the 2022 season with a 10-6-2 overall record, its first 10-win season since 2018 and the sixth time the teams has won 10 or more matches within the last 10 seasons. The Pride posted a 9-3-1 GNAC mark during the regular season, the most conference victories in the history of the Regis women's soccer program.