WSOC: Lasell rallies past Regis; Speight tallies goal and assist for Lasers

LOWELL, Mass. – The Lasell University women's soccer team scored three goals in a 15-minute span in the second half Wednesday evening to rally from a 1-0 deficit and pull out a 3-2 victory over Regis College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match, held at the Cushing Field Complex on the campus of UMass Lowell.

Sophomore Serena Speight (Biddeford, Maine) had a goal and an assist to lead the Lasers, who improve to 5-9 overall and 5-3 in the GNAC. Regis drops to 6-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play.

Regis struck first in the fourth minute as Rachel Kelly (Whitman, Mass.) stole the ball from a Lasell player deep in the Laser zone and then made a short pass to Alex Maher (Reading, Mass.). Maher launched a shot over the goalkeeper's head into the net to put the Pride on top, 1-0.

The Pride continued to press the attack for the next 10 minutes, capped by a shot from Kelly that was stopped by Laser goalie Angela Sanzari (North Haven, Conn.) Lasell started to control the action through the second part of the first half, but Regis keeper Angie Caldwell (Goffstown, N.H.) did not let any shots sneak past her, featuring consecutive scoring chances from freshman Bobbi O'Guin (Newton,  Mass.) and sophomore Darian Morgan (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) in the final minute of the half.

Lasell scored the equalizer in the 57th minute as O'Guin gathered the ball and raced up the field before finding senior Olivia Austin (Burlington, Mass.) on the right wing. Austin's shot eluded Caldwell into the lower left corner of the net, tying the match at 1-1.

Lasell took the lead for good in the 70th minute when junior Sophia DiPlacido (Hudson, Mass.) scored off an assist by Speight. Just over two minutes later, Speight would score a goal of her own to increase the Laser lead to 3-1.

The Pride ramped up the offensive pressure, eventually converting on a scoring chance in the 79th minute as Kelly scored off an assist by Payton Fitzgerald (Danielson, Conn.). Regis continued to look for the game-tying goal, with its final chance coming in the last minute of regulation, but a shot by Kaylee Francis (Millis, Mass.) hit the right post, securing the victory for the Lasers.

Lasell outshot Regis, 17-11, led by O'Guin with four shots and Speight with three, all on goal. Sanzari was credited with just one save as she picked up the win, while Caldwell finished with a career-high eight saves, six of them in the first half.

Lasell will return home for another GNAC game on Saturday, October 19, on Senior Day, honoring its seniors before facing Norwich at 3 p.m. Regis hosts Anna Maria Saturday, for a scheduled start time of 1:30 p.m. Before the match, the six seniors on the Pride roster will be recognized in a Senior Day presentation.

(Courtesy of Regis Sports Information)

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