MLX: Lasell captures GNAC Championship with win over Norwich

NEWTON, Mass. – The Lasell University men's lacrosse team captured its second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship and first since 2017 Saturday afternoon with a 15-7 victory over Norwich University in the title game at Grellier Field.

The top-seeded Lasers (10-2) flipped the outcome from the most recent GNAC Championship game with their third win of the season over the second-seeded Cadets (9-4); Norwich had upset Lasell for the 2019 championship.

Lasell earns the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, which will begin with first-round games next Saturday, May 15. The Lasers will learn their first-round opponent and location on the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Selection Show on Sunday (May 9) at 9 p.m., which will be aired on NCAA.com.

Junior goalie Alex Beauchemin (Westfield, Mass.) earned the tournament Most Valuable Player award after making 14 saves on 21 shots, following his performance in the semifinals when he made 16 saves on 21 shots in a 16-5 win over Johnson & Wales University.

Lasell's four other All-Tournament Team selections were grad student Chase Kapuscienski (Grafton, Mass.), seniors Colby Buccheri (Rowley, Mass.) and Andrew Fidalgo (Wilbraham, Mass.), and sophomore defenseman Magnus Leonard (Marshfield, Mass.).

Fidalgo was the top scorer for Lasell in the championship game with seven points on five goals and two assists. Buccheri tallied three goals and an assist, and Kapascienski added a goal and two assists. Junior Bash Cunningham (Norwalk, Conn.) also finished with two goals, and Leonard, senior Josif Giogas (Burlington, Mass.), and juniors James Anderson (Medway, Mass.) and Max Litchfield (Barrington, N.H.) and Leonard scored one apiece.

Norwich also got an outstanding performance by its goalie as senior Nick Kandra (Crofton, Md.) made a season-high 20 saves and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

Grad student Jack Anzalone (Ridgewood, N.J.) led the Cadets with two goals and two assists, and senior All-Tournament Team selection Clyde Tamburro (Elizabethtown, Pa.) potted two goals. Senior All-Tournament Team selection and Norwich's leading scorer on the season (41 goals) Payden Masaracchia (Enola, Pa.) was held to just one goal for the second time in three games against the Lasers.

Lasell led 3-1 after the first period, but Norwich hung tough and Masaracchia's goal with four minutes left in the second frame pulled the Cadets to within two goals at 5-3. But the Lasers scored twice before the half, one on a coast-to-coast run-and-shoot by Leonard and another on a man-up goal by Cunningham, to hold a 7-3 margin at the intermission.

The home team took control after the break with the first five goals of the third quarter, including two by Fidalgo, and extended the margin to double digits (14-4) by the end of the period. Norwich made the score respectable with the final three goals in the fourth quarter.

Norwich finished 9-1 this season against the other teams on its schedule but 0-3 against Lasell.

Lasell is 30-1 in the regular season against GNAC schools since 2017, with two post-season championships.

All-Tournament Team Alex Beauchemin, Lasell (MVP) Colby Buccheri, Lasell Andrew Fidalgo, Lasell Chase Kapuscienski, Lasell Magnus Leonard, Lasell Nick Kandra, Norwich Payden Masaracchia, Norwich Clyde Tamburro, Norwich Andrew Vasile, Johnson & Wales Matt Zuckerman, Johnson & Wales           Coby Mercier, Rivier Sawyer Gagnon, Rivier
	Lasell captains and Coach Mason accept the Championship Trophy	Commissioner Joe Walsh with Tournament MVP Alex Beauchemin

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