WESTON, Mass. - Regis College jumped on the board early and then held off Curry College's offensive threat, especially in the second half, as the Pride defeated the Colonels, 1-0, Sunday afternoon in a non-conference women's soccer match at Regis Stadium.
In the fifth minute of action, Retta Hatin (Hooksett, N.H.) sent a shot towards the lower right portion of the net, but it was turned away by Curry keeper Hannah Correa. Olivia Dench (Center Moriches, N.Y.) corralled the rebound and found the back of the net for the Pride's first goal of the season and Dench's second career collegiate tally.
Curry (0-1-1) started to take control of the possession as the first half moved along and took several shots that were not on target. In the span of one minute late in the half, consecutive shots by Jovi Goldstein and Madison Frye were stopped by Regis goalie Cassidy Van Cott (Santa Monica, Calif.), who made three saves in the first half.
Cristina Nazario (Isla Verde, Puerto Rico) relieved Van Cott in net at the start of the second half and was immediately challenged, but she successfully stopped shots by Frye and Sydney Resendes within the first three minutes after halftime. One key sequence for the Pride defense came in the 71st minute as Brooke Sullivan nearly tucked a shot inside the right post, but Elisa D'Sa (Bellmore, N.Y.) swept the ball away from the goal line, and Sullivan's follow-up attempt landed wide.
In the 80th minute, a shot by Maddie Resendes sailed just over the crossbar, while another attempt from her sister Sydney Resendes was cradled by Nazario. The Colonels put together one final scoring opportunity in the final minute, but Nazario intercepted a crossing pass to seal the first victory of the 2023 season for the Pride.
Sydney Resendes led all players with eight total shots, while Colleen Curran (Woburn, Mass.) paced the Pride with three total shots, including two shots on goal. Nazario finished the second half with five saves, and Correa earned three saves as she played the entire match for the Colonels.
Regis College (1-1) begins conference play Wednesday night, Sept. 6, against Emmanuel College starting at 7:30 p.m. at Regis Stadium. It is Military Appreciation Night, and there will be a food drive to collect non-perishable items to donate to the VA Hospital in Bedford, Mass. Curry College will host Framingham State Wednesday at 4 p.m.