WESTON, Mass. - In a contentious battle between two regional rivals playing their first league contest of the 2023 season, Emmanuel College scored once in each half to defeat Regis College, 2-0, Wednesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer match at Regis Stadium.
Emmanuel jumped on the board, taking advantage of a penalty kick opportunity created when Regis was called for a handball in the box in the fourth minute of action. Maya Daryanani stepped up and converted the penalty kick to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.
The Saints had other scoring chances in the first half, starting two minutes after their goal when a shot by Annebel Balogh de Galantha hit the crossbar. Two solid shots from Liz McCormick were turned away by Regis starting goalie Cassidy Van Cott (Santa Monica, Calif.), but Emmanuel was able to maintain its 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Two minutes into the second half, McCormick tested Daniela Mazo (Bridgeport, Conn.), but the sophomore corralled the first shot she saw after replacing Van Cott. Mazo also turned away two shots by Ciara Horan in a six-minute span to keep the Pride within one goal, but Regis could not create a sustained offensive attack.
In the 77th minute, Horan slid a pass from the right side of the box towards the goal mouth, and Sarah Dullaghan was able to chip the ball past Mazo into the net for Emmanuel's insurance tally. The Pride increased its pressure in the final minutes, but Emmanuel goalie Gaby Baker caught Regis' final shot of the night in the 87th minute to solidify the victory for the visitors.
The Saints outshot the Pride, 15-7, led by six shots from McCormick and four shots from Horan. Baker finished with three saves as she earned a clean sheet, while Van Cott and Mazo combined for six saves for the Pride.
Regis College (1-2, 0-1 GNAC) hosts Albertus Magnus College Saturday, Sept. 9, starting at 3 p.m. At the same time, Emmanuel College (2-1, 1-0 GNAC) hosts Norwich University.