Franklin, MA- The Dean College women's lacrosse held their ground and cemented their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win of the season on Saturday, taking down Regis College 14-8. Dean now moves to 4-4 (1-2) on the year, while Regis drops to 2-5 (1-2).

The Bulldogs opened the scoring early with a goal from Alisha Caldeira (West Bridgewater, MA) at the 4:00 mark, assisted by Natalie Peterson (Hudson, MA). As the first quarter progressed, Dean's defense kept Regis off the board, leading to a 1-0 advantage heading into the second period. The Bulldogs continued their offensive push, with Peterson netting three goals in the second. Two of her goals were also unassisted. Emma Mock (Tunkhannock, PA) added to the lead with a goal, and Caldeira finished the period with another goal at 1:56, assisted by Caroline Ramsey (Shreveport, PA). This put Dean up 5-1 going into halftime.

The third quarter saw Regis attempt a comeback, as Molly Higgins scored at 13:44 to narrow the deficit to 5-2. However, Dean responded swiftly with goals from Allie Stockwell (Burrillville, RI) and Nina Medeiros (Fairhaven, MA), who found the net with a beautiful pass from Haley Gaunt (Johnston, RI). At 8:59, Gaunt herself scored, assisted by Caldeira, pushing Dean's lead to 9-2. Regis answered with two quick goals, but Dean maintained control, finishing the third quarter with a commanding 11-5 advantage.

Dean continued to control the pace in the final quarter, with Peterson securing her fifth goal of the game at 10:43. Regis attempted a rally with goals from Serenity Ayala and Audrey Mason, but Dean's offense continued to respond. Gaunt added another goal at 4:12, and despite a late goal by Maddie Sainato for Regis, Dean held on to secure a 14-8 victory.

Even with all the offensive successes from Dean, it was Shea Cassani (Belgrade, ME) that displayed the most impressive performance. The sophomore goalkeeper finished with a career-high 16 saves, making multiple stops in crucial moments for the Bulldogs. She now moves to 2-1 on the season. 

Peterson led the Bulldogs' offense with five goals, one assist, and 11 shots on goal. Caldeira, Medeiros, Mock, and Gaunt all finished with two goals each. Stockwell also netted a goal in the contest. Ramsey led Dean in assists, netting two in the contest. 

The Bulldogs will now prepare for a mid-week road trip, traveling to Elms College for a 5:00PM GNAC contest.