The trio of Nicole Starkey-Cox, Erica Hammond and Talia D’Ambruoso have been playing soccer together for the better part of the last decade, first for Pilgrim and now for UMass-Dartmouth, sharing the ups and downs of life on the pitch together for the Patriots and Corsairs.

However, their time as teammates is starting to come to a close as all three are currently four matches into their respective senior seasons at the collegiate level.

Prior to the start of the campaign, Hammond and D’Ambruoso were tabbed as two of the four captains for the UMass-Dartmouth eleven this fall, Starkey-Cox missing out despite having started every match since the start of her sophomore year.

The Corsairs opened the season with an extended run of four straight matches on the road, picking up victories over Mount Holyoke and Salem State while dropping decisions to Wentworth and Salve Regina.

All three ex-Patriots have been ever-present in the UMass-Dartmouth starting eleven, but only D’Ambruoso has managed to get her name onto the scoresheet thus far.

Her unassisted tally in the 29th minute against Salve Regina on Friday opened affairs, but the Seahawks responded with the contest’s next three goals on the way to a 3-2 win.

The good news for the Corsairs is that their next three games are at home, including Saturday’s clash with Eastern Connecticut, which heralds the start to the Little East portion of the slate.

Prior to their tussle with the Warriors, UMass-Dartmouth will take on Johnson & Wales Wednesday afternoon in their home opener, looking to defeat the Wildcats for the first time since the 2005 season.

Other notes

Ex-Hawk Paul Phillips had a penalty kick saved in the 74th minute that could have secured Castleton’s first win of the season in the Spartans’ Saturday match versus Southern Maine. In the end, the teams settled for a 2-2 draw, the second stalemate in as many days for Castleton...Pilgrim alum Peter Johnston logged his first collegiate tackle in the fourth quarter of Salve Regina’s 39-3 season-opening triumph over Worcester State on Sept. 2...Warwick Vets graduate Kendra Howard made her debut in goal on Sept. 4 for Husson, playing the final 18:32 of the match in the Eagles’ 5-1 rout of Maine-Presque Isle.