Lacrosse Falls on Senior Day to Lasell

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph was defeated by the Lasell College Lasers, 19-4, on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse match at the USJ Lacrosse Field. Prior to the opening draw, the USJ Athletic Department recognized its six graduating seniors of the USJ Lacrosse team with a special celebration.

PHOTO GALLERY

THE BASICS

Score: University of Saint Joseph - 4, Lasell College - 19
Records: USJ (3-9, 0-9 GNAC), LC (11-3, 7-2 GNAC)
Location: West Hartford, Conn. – USJ Lacrosse Field
Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018

HOW IT HAPPENED

Lasell rattled off a huge run to start the match scoring nine unanswered goals to build a comfortable 9-0 advantage. Sophomore Sam Taylor (Hanover Mass.) opened the scoring for the Lasers 49 seconds in before senior Taylor Yandow (Moretown, Vt.) netted back-to-back goals to make it 3-0.

After a goal by Lasers' freshman Kellie Matthews (Walpole, Mass.), Yandow completed a first-half hat-trick with a man-down goal to push the visitors' lead to 5-0. Four different Lasell players would score the ensuing four goals, including the fourth of the game from Yandow, to make it 9-0 with 14 minutes left in the opening half.

The Blue Jays halted the Lasell run after junior Annmarie Masayda (Watertown, Conn.) marched down the field and beat Lasell's sophomore keeper Morgan Choquet (Woonsocket, R.I.) to get USJ on the board and make it 9-1. The goal was Masayda's 10th of the season.

Lasell and USJ would trade the next two goals to bring the score to 10-2 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. Freshman Hannah Thurston (Hanover, Mass.) scored for Lasell, while sophomore Charlotte Eberhardt (Thomaston, Conn.) recorded her 17th goal of the year for the Blue Jays.

Back-to-back goals by the Lasers pushed the lead to 12-2 before senior Hannah Lemek (Bristol, Conn.) found the back of the cage for USJ with 1:45 left in the opening period to trim the deficit to 12-3. It marked the team-leading 19th goal of the season for Lemek. However, Matthews linked up with sophomore Mandy Brock (North Haven, Conn.) to beat the halftime buzzer at make it 13-3 heading into the intermission.

Lasell opened the second half right where they left off and struck first with the second goal of the game from Thurston before Eberhardt netted her second goal of the game off a fed from Lemek to make it 14-4. It would be all Lasell from there as they scored five goals to end the game and account for the 19-4 final margin.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Eberhardt found the back of the cage twice to lead the offensive charge for the Blue Jays. She also picked up a pair of ground balls.
• Lemek tied for a game-high with six draw controls for the Blue Jays to go with her goal and assist in the game.
• Yandow finished with four goals and two assists for a six-point game to lead the Lasers.
• Matthews also posted a six-point game for Lasell with three goals and three assists to go with five draw controls.
• Senior Emily Bourassa (Bristol, Conn.), who has played every minute of every game in her career for the Blue Jays between the pipes, finished her career at home with an impressive 15 saves.
• Choquet picked up the win in goal for the Lasers to improve to 11-3 and made three saves.
• USJ was outshot in the match by the Lasers, 41-9.

UP NEXT

The USJ women's lacrosse team will conclude the 2018 season with a road GNAC match on Monday evening against intrastate rival Albertus Magnus. Opening draw is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Lasell is back in action next with its final game of the regular season on Tuesday at home versus Saint Joseph's College of Maine beginning at 4:00 p.m.