Men's Lacrosse Opens 2013 Campaign with 17-13 Win over Salve Regina

Newton, Mass. (3/2/12) – The duo of Andy Puopolo (Duxbury, Mass.) and Dylan Fernandes (Billerica, Mass.) helped lead Lasell College to a 17-13 win against Salve Regina at home on Saturday afternoon. Lasell stands at 1-0 on the 2013 campaign while the loss drops the Seahawks to 0-3 on the year. 

Fernandes led the scoring attack for Lasell as he sounded the goal horn five times on the afternoon, while classmate Andy Puopolo finished with an impressive performance as he scored four times and assisted on two more goals. Robbie Palazzo (Redding, Conn.) registered three goals and two assists for the Lasers, while freshmen attackmen Casey Sullivan (Waterford, Conn.) tallied one goal and three assists.

Salve Regina was led offensively by freshmen Cam Brazill (Ridgewood, N.J.) who had three goals on the day, while Curtis McKeon (West Haven, Conn.) did his part with two goals and three assists. Senior defenseman Michael Horn (Marstons Mills, Mass.) grabbed seven groundballs for Seahawks.

The first 15-minutes of play only saw one goal as Ladson Shaello-Johnson (Binghamton, N.Y.) struck for the Lasers with 3:27 remaining, giving the Lasers a 1-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

The Seahawks answered back four minutes in, tying the game at 1-. A man up goal by Aaron LaPorta courtesy of a Fernandes feed at the 10:40 mark put the Lasers up 2-1. The Lasell lead lasted for 29 seconds as Brazill knotted the score at 2-2.  At the 8:45 mark in the second quarter Palazzo would strike for Lasell to make it 3-2. Lasell increased their lead to 5-2, with goals from Eric Marcantonio (Lexington, Mass.) and Casey Sullivan. Salve Regina would pull one goal back before going into the break as Taylor Braun (Commack, N.Y.) beat Chris Thomas-Ikier (Burlington, Mass.) trimming the hosts lead to 5-3.

Salve started the second half with three unanswered goals, giving them a 6-5 lead as James Fee, Brazill and Steven Russell as scored for the Seahawks. The Lasers responded with goals by Puopolo and Atticus Robert to make it 7-6 in favor of the Lasers with 9:02 left of the third quarter. Curtis McKeon would hit the back of the net again for the Seahawks at 4:41, tying the game at 7-7. Fernandes and Puopolo scored to make it 9-7 Lasell, with 2:52 remaining. The Seahawks' Braun netted to cut the Lasell lead to one, and Francis McNulty (Durham, Conn.) sandwiched between goals from Lasell's Palazzo and Fernandes made the score 11-9 in favor of Lasell heading into the final stanza.

Early Seahawk goals by Dan Park (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Cam Brazill knotted the contest at 11with 13:34 remaining in the game. The tie wouldn't last long as Lasell would quickly answer back with a goal from Puopolo at 13:33 and at 12:08 by Dylan Fernandes to make it 13-11. Fernandes would nudge the host's lead to three as he sounded the horn again at the 7:44 mark. A pair of goals by Jake Pantani (Branford, Conn.) and James O'Brien (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) would cap of the scoring for Seahawks as they cut into the lead to make it 14-13, with 6:47 left on the clock. Classmates Palazzo, Fernandes and Puopolo would eventually increase the Lasell lead to 17-13 before the final horn sounded.

Chris Thomas-Ikier recorded his first win as he stopped 16 of 29 shots on the day, while Seahawks freshman Brian Farina (Jenkintown, Pa.) stopped nine of the 26 shots he faced while taking the loss.

The Seahawks continue their season on the road as they go to New Hampshire to faceoff against Keene State on Wednesday, March 6.  The Lasers will also resume action on Wednesday, March 6 as they host Roger Williams at 3:00 p.m.