Women's Soccer to Face Regis in Semis

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College women's soccer squad will welcome Regis College to the confines of Leary Field Thursday evening for a semifinal matchup in the New England Collegiate Conference championship tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

The Blazers (10-8-1, 8-1 NECC) move on to the semifinals of the conference tournament after capturing a 1-0 victory over Bay Path University in the first round Tuesday night. Elms dominated possession during the match, firing 21 shots, just missing a handful of opportunities to extend their lead, and a late first-half strike from freshman midfielder Jackie Soucia (Belchertown, Mass.) proved to be the difference maker.

Sophomore defender Kylen O'Hearn (Somers, Conn.) is the Blazers' leading scorer with a team-high 22 points on a team-high 10 goals, including four game-winners, with two assists. O'Hearn ranks fifth in the NECC in goals and points. Soucia pushed her point total into double-figures with four goals and three assists, while junior defender Michelle Rossignol (Manchester, Conn.) is leading the distribution for Elms with a team-high five assists. Sophomore midfielders Rachel Connell (Easthampton, Mass.) and Meeghan O'Connor (Fall River, Mass.) each scored a trio of goals on the season, while Rossignol, senior midfielder Delina Devillier (Springfield, Mass.), junior defender Lyndsey Oppenheimer (Easthampton, Mass.), freshman midfielders Mackenzie Larochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) and Madison Jung (Stafford Springs, Conn.), and freshman defender Angelina Estrada (Springfield, Mass.) have all potted two goals on the year. Junior goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo (Bellmore, N.Y.) has posted a 1.49 goals against average (GAA) with a .743 save percentage, 78 saves, and ten shutouts. Rinaudo leads the NECC in shutouts, and ranks fourth in GAA, goals against, and eighth in save percentage.

Regis College (11-5-2, 7-2 NECC) advanced to the semifinals with a 3-0 win over Newbury College Tuesday night. The Pride have won seven of their last eight games, including victories over Becker College (1-0) and Southern Vermont (1-0). Regis is generating 1.8 goals per game on 17.9 shots offensively, while holding opponents to under a goal per game (.94) on 11.2 shots.

The Pride are paced by junior midfielder Joana Rosa (Roxbury, Mass.) with a team-high 16 points on a team-high eight goals. Sophomore defender Hannah Bouvette (Mattapoisett, Mass.) has chipped in six goals for 12 points, while freshman midfielders Olivia Hamill (Sudbury, Mass.) and Tais Salles (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) have contributed four goals apiece. Freshman midfielder Michaela Bouvette (Mattapoisett, Mass.) leads the Pride in assist with four, and senior midfielder Adena Joseph (Stoughton, Mass.) has added two goals and three assists on the year. Junior goalkeeper Rachel Gagnon (Ashford, Conn.) has started all 18 games in goal for Regis, recording a .92 goals against average, a .844 save percentage, with 92 saves and nine shutouts. 

In their matchup earlier this season, the teams faced off in their conference season opener. The squads played to a scoreless first half, but O'Hearn delivered the game-winner in the opening minutes of the second half to send the Blazers to a 1-0 win over Regis. Elms outshot the Pride, 11-3, during the contest. Over the history of the matchup, the Blazers own a 11-5-3 advantage over Regis, winning eight of the last nine matches.

ELMS SOCCER