Field Hockey Rolls to 7-1 Victory Against Nichols

NEWTON, Mass. (9/13/16) -- The Lasell College field hockey team extended its season-opening win streak to five games, scoring five goals in the first half en route to a 7-1 victory over Nichols College on Tuesday afternoon at Grellier Field.

The Lasers' record remains perfect at 5-0, while Nichols dipped to 1-4 with its fourth straight setback.

Just one day after earning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Week honors, sophomore Cailin Flannery (Medford, N.J.) led the Lasers offense with two goals on five shots. Senior Courtney Braman (Gardner, Mass.) registered three assists.

The Lasers got the scoring going in just the fourth minute of the contest, finding the back of the net twice in a 44-second span.

Flannery gave Lasell a 1-0 lead with her fourth goal of the season at the 3:13 mark. She took a short pass from Braman at the front of the net for the score.

At 3:57, freshman Grace Duguay (Watertown, Mass.) doubled the Lasers' advantage, taking a shot that deflected off a Nichols player and past freshman goalkeeper Brooke Misbach (Guilford, Conn.). The goal was Duguay's second of the season.

Flannery beat her defender and scored an unassisted goal at 16:36. Senior Brianna Longo (Stamford, Conn.) scored her first goal of the season less than ten minutes later, taking Braman's assist off a penalty corner.

Lasell led 5-0 at halftime after freshman Samantha Taylor (Hanover, Mass.) sent a rebounded shot into the back of the net at 32:34.

A pair of Lasers scored their first goal of the season in the second half. Freshman Izzy Contois (Conway, Mass.) posted Lasell's sixth goal at 51:46, less than a minute before Braman found sophomore Brittany Fortier (Newport, Vt.) at 52:38. Fortier led all Lasell players with six shots in the game.

Nichols broke the Lasers' shutout bid at 68:43 as senior Jacqueline O'Connor (Palmer, Mass.) scored her first goal of the season on a rebound.

Lasell held its opponent out of the shots column for the second consecutive half in the opening 35 minutes as it finished with a 22-9 shooting advantage.

Misbach surrendered the first two goals before senior Katherine Cotton (Kennebunk, Maine) took over in the Nichols net. Cotton made eight saves on 13 shots in the final 66:31.

Lasell also split goalkeeping duties. Landry did not have to make a save in the first half before freshman Nicole Andriani (West Creek, N.J.) finished the game with a six-save relief period.

Both teams return to action on Thursday, September 15. The Lasers remain in non-conference action as MIT makes the short trip to Newton at 4:00 p.m, while the Bison head to Endicott at 7:00 p.m.