Men's Lacrosse Starts GNAC Season at 1-0 with 12-7 Win at Rivier

Nashua, N.H.) (4/2/16)  - The Lasell men's lacrosse team opened up Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a 12-7 win at Rivier University Saturday afternoon at Raider Field. With the 1-0 record in the GNAC, the Lasers move to 6-2 overall, while the Raiders dip to 0-1 in conference play and 6-3 this season. 

Freshman Ryan Madden (Hingham, Mass.) added his first career hat trick on a game-high four goals, while Anthony Saitta (Derry, N.H.), Austin Tomasetti (Elmsford, N.Y.) and Josh Gallant (Hampstead, N.H.) scored two goals apiece in the effort. Junior Casey Sullivan (Quaker Hill, Conn.) helped on three of Lasell's 12 goals, also scoring one of his own, while Madden followed with two assists.

Rivier had strong performances from Ryan Coombs (Derry, N.H.), and Liam Ryan (Dorchester, Mass.) with two goals apiece, while Kyle Graham (Londonderry, N.H.) added a single marker and two ground balls.

The Raiders got off to a hot start, outscoring the Lasers 4-1 in the first quarter despite Lasell's 15-8 advantage in shots. In response to the deficit, Saitta, Madden, and junior Connor Johnson (Hampstead, N.H.), teamed up for four straight goals with 9:56 remaining in the half, leading 5-4. Rivier's Ryan finished a feed from Graham just over a minute later for the 5-5 equalizer, only to be answered by Madden's third goal of the afternoon on an unassisted rocket to frame. With Madden's go-ahead goal, the Lasers never looked back as they ignited a final 6-2 stretch leading into the final whistle. 

Juniors Pete Dolan (Pearl River, N.Y.) and Chase Swift (Bradford, Conn.) dominated the faceoff circle with 16-23 faceoffs won, while Lasell also grabbed a 33-22 advantage in ground balls highlighted by seven apiece from Swift and freshman David Sheehan (Tewksbury, Mass.). 

Junior goalkeeper Jorge Salazar (Waltham, Mass.) notched the win (6-2) in between the pipes for Lasell with 11 saves, while senior Clark Plummer (Londonderry, N.H.) made 23 saves in the loss for the Raiders. 

Both teams continue conference action on Wednesday, April 6. The Lasers return to Grellier Field at 4:00 p.m. versus Emmanuel College, while the Raiders head across town to Mount Ida College for a 6:00 p.m. start.