WESTON, MASS – Behind a dominant six-goal performance from sophomore Riley Davis (Weare, N.H.), the New England College women's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 14-8 victory over Regis College on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Pilgrims improve to 3-0 in conference play.
The Pride struck first to take a 1-0 lead, but senior Meadow Gilchrist (Stamford, Conn.) connected with Davis to even the score. Regis quickly answered, regaining a 2-1 edge just 30 seconds later. Despite a strong back-and-forth battle, the Pride carried a 3-1 lead into the second quarter after a late goal from Serenity Ayala.
The 'Grims responded immediately as freshman Camryn Coutts (Gilford, N.H.) opened the quarter with a goal, followed by Davis' second tally to tie the game at 3-3. After Regis briefly reclaimed the lead, junior Carmela Goodwin (Lebanon, N.H.) answered to once again tie the score. The teams continued to trade momentum until Davis took over, scoring two man-up goals during a decisive NEC run. Gilchrist added another late strike, sending NEC into halftime with a 7-5 advantage.
The Pilgrims began to create separation in the third, as Gilchrist finished a feed from senior Mackenzie McDonald (Boscawen, N.H.), and 20 seconds later, Coutts capitalized on an assist from junior Alexis Hornsby (Atkinson, N.H.) to extend the lead. Regis trimmed the deficit on a man-up opportunity, but Davis answered once again to push the lead back to four. After another goal from the Pride, Coutts delivered a key man-down goal in the final minute, giving the 'Grims an 11-7 cushion heading into the final frame.
NEC maintained control down the stretch with McDonald adding a goal off a feed from Goodwin, while Regis managed to add one more goal to cut the lead. Davis and Gilchrist each found the back of the net late to seal the 14-8 victory.
Davis led all scorers with six goals, while Coutts added three. Gilchrist turned in an all-around standout performance with three goals, three assists, four ground balls, four caused turnovers, and four draw controls. Goodwin contributed one goal and two assists to go with five ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two draw controls, while sophomore Jamie Blondin (Oakville, Ont.) added three draw controls, two ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Freshman goalkeeper Tatum Villa (Framingham, Mass.) earned her seventh win of the season, recording four saves.
The Pilgrims return home Wednesday to host GNAC foe Emmanuel College at Don Melander Field at 4:00 PM.
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