Fall Sports Success Sets the Bar High for Lasell Athletics
NEWTON, Mass. (12/2/13) - The Lasell College athletic teams continue to impress, and the fall season was no exception. The Lasers saw all four of their team sports squads finish with winning records and qualify for postseason, with a pair of conference championship appearances, a GNAC championship, an NCAA tournament appearance and an appearance in the ECAC finals. A total of 13 Lasell student-athletes earned All-Conference honors, and a pair of Lasers were named Player of the Year.
Women's Soccer
The 2013 Lasell College women's soccer season set new markers for success, seeing records fall throughout the year. They finished the season 17-4-1, setting a new program record for victories in a single season. The 2013 squad became the first women's soccer team to post an undefeated record in GNAC competition at 10-0-1. They captured their fourth consecutive Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship, reaching the NCAA tournament for the fourth year running, becoming the first program in school history to capture four straight conference championships.
The senior class of Arianna DiOrio, Jill Greaney, Melissa Leonard, Jamie Osterberg and Sam Peck finished their careers as the only group of players to never lose in the GNAC tournament while winning 62 games during their time at Lasell including a 38-6-4 record in regular season GNAC matches.
Junior forward Bridget Lynch was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season as she continued her record-breaking career. Lynch set new single season records for goals (33) and points (73), established new career records in goals (66) and points (147) while also setting the single game goal scoring mark with five goals twice during the season.
Freshman midfielder Devon Day was named to the GNAC All-Conference Second team following a season in which she finished with eight goals and eight assists. Senior defender Jill Greaney and Jamie Osterberg each received All-GNAC Third team accolades to cap their impressive careers.
Men's Soccer
The 2013 Lasell College men's soccer program continued its run of success in impressive fashion, finishing the season with a program-record 17 wins and appearances in both the GNAC championship and ECAC New England Championship games. The men's team captured the top seed in the GNAC tournament by claiming their second straight GNAC regular season title, while finishing the season with a 7-1-1 record in GNAC matches and a 17-4-2 tally overall.
Mike Skelton was selected as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year, while setting new single season records for goals with 22 and points with 49. Skelton became the program's all-time leading goal scorer with 55 goals in his career making him the first player in the history of the program to top the 50 goal mark. He also became the program's all-time points leader with 127 career points, surpassing the Zach Gagne '09 during the ECAC semifinals against Worcester State with a pair of goals.
Senior midfielder Cedric Dybaud joined Skelton on the All-GNAC First team, while classmate Nery Guerra was named to the All-GNAC Second team along with junior center back Manny Alves. Senior Sokol Bako rounded out the Lasers All-GNAC honors with his Third team selection.
Women's Field Hockey
The 2013 Lasell College field hockey campaign saw the program rise to exciting heights as the team's 10 wins was the second highest total in program history. The Lasers finished 10-10 overall for the season, while earning the #7 seed in their final year in the North Atlantic Conference marking the third straight season that they appeared in the NAC tournament. The team scored 44 goals in 20 contests, a 15 goal jump from a season ago, and allowed 42 goals on the year, 34 goals less than a year ago. Junior Nikita Soares was selected to the All-GNAC Second team, finishing the season with 10 goals and five assists and becoming the first player since the 2010 season to earn All-Conference honors from the NAC.
Women's Volleyball
The 2013 Lasell College women's volleyball team finished with a 17-16 record overall, their best record since the 2006 campaign, and a 7-4 mark in GNAC play finishing tied for fourth in the GNAC. The Lasers claimed the #6 seed in the GNAC tournament, as they qualified for the GNAC tournament for the seventh consecutive season.
The Lasers outside hitters, sophomore Sharisse Scott-Rawlins and freshmen Abigail Rollins both earned All-GNAC Third team honors for their outstanding play during the season.
Men's Cross Country
The 2013 Lasell College men's cross country team continued the successful growth of the program during a positive campaign. The team finished fifth at the GNAC Championships, matching their finish from a season ago with a roster devoid of seniors. Sophomore Alex Weselcouch earned All-GNAC honors for the second season in a row, becoming the first Lasell men's runner to do so since 2006. Classmate Cameron Wiewel also had a strong year, finishing 17th at the GNAC meet, and capping a strong season by finishing less than a second behind Weselcouch in the NCAA regional meet at the end of the year. Junior captain Kyle Northrop battled through some mid-season injuries to put together a solid junior year for the Lasers.
Women's Cross Country
The 2013 Lasell College women's cross country team improved on their 2012 campaign, including a sixth place finish at the GNAC Championship meet near the end of the year. The 2013 squad was a balanced one for Lasell, seeing three different runners pace the way for the team in meets, most notably sophomore Jamie Russo who placed first for Lasell four times and senior Jess Smith who led the way on three occasions.