Men's Lacrosse: Lasers advance to GNAC championship game with 8-4 win over Rivier

NEWTON, Mass. - Senior attack James Anderson of the second-seeded Lasell University men's lacrosse team recorded three goals and two assists Wednesday evening, as the Lasers kept third-seeded Rivier scoreless during the first, third and fourth quarters during an 8-4 win in the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament on Grellier Field.

"It was a great win," said Lasell University Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Dieter Treusdell. "Our guys showed a lot of heart and composure tonight. Our defense not allowing a goal in the second half was really special."

The Lasers (12-6, 9-1 GNAC) advance to their sixth GNAC championship game in program history and will compete against top-seeded Norwich (17-1, 10-0 GNAC) Saturday in Northfield, Vermont. The time of the game is to be determined.

"We are all excited about the opportunity in front of us on Saturday in Vermont against a formidable opponent in Norwich," said senior Jordan Hines.

Lasell has advanced to the GNAC title game in five of the last six seasons, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. The 2017 and 2021 teams were conference champions and qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament.

On Wednesday, Hines finished with one goal and two assists for the Lasers, while senior goalie Alex Beauchemin earned his 12th win of the year, stopping 15-of-19 shots for a .789 save percentage. Steven Phelps went 11 of 15 on faceoffs. Lasell went 2-0 against Rivier this season, as the Lasers defeated the Raiders, 7-6, on March 26 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

"The atmopshere was unbelievable," said Hines. "Playing under the lights with a fan section like ours is one of the most exhilarating feelings for an athlete. I thought the story belonged to the defense and our goalie Alex Beauchemin. They showed up tonight in a big way for us when we needed them most. They are the backbone of this team."

Leading the way for the Raiders (14-4, 8-2 GNAC) were Michael Ference (2 goals), Connor Eck (2 assists) and Nicholas Tavares (goal, assist). Goalie Sawyer Gagnon made 11 saves for Rivier.

The Lasers won the first quarter, 3-0, as Anderson and Hines tallied one goal and one assist apiece in the period. Rivier scored four straight goals in the second quarter, building a 4-3 advantage on a tally by Ference with 3:07 on the scoreboard. A goal by Nate Taggart, assisted by Anderson, with 1:48 left knotted the game at 4-4 going into halftime.

Lasell controlled the pace in the second half with a remarkable defensive performance. The Lasers did not allow a single goal and scored four of their own, one in the third and three during the fourth. Anderson struck twice in the final 30 minutes and a goal by Landon Reyes with 4:58 remaining in the fourth sealed the four-goal victory.

Bash Cunningham and Kyle Charlot finished with one goal and one assist, respectively. Anderson led the way for the Lasers with 12 shots and seven shots on goal. Ference finished with nine shots, putting eight on target, for the visitors. Each team attempted 34 shots and Lasell won the ground-balls category, 35-15. 

Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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