MLAX: Lasers Roll Past Emmanuel, 14-8, to Reach GNAC Final
Newton, MA - Lasell University men's lacrosse punched their ticket to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship game with a dominant 14–8 semifinal victory over #2 Emmanuel College on Tuesday night at Grellier Field.
From the opening whistle, the Lasers seized control. Within the first minute, Sam Guilmette opened the scoring off a feed from Jack Condon. Moments later, Francis Pino added an unassisted goal to give the Lasers an early 2–0 edge. Emmanuel responded with a goal from Cole Cloney, but Lasell closed the first quarter strong, leading 4–1 after additional tallies by Guilmette and Carson Tucker.
In the second quarter, they would continue to apply pressure. Colin LeBaron, Ryan Stone, Matthew Carbone, and Condon all found the back of the net, helping Lasell build a commanding 8–3 halftime lead. Emmanuel managed just two second-quarter goals, both coming in a brief offensive burst midway through the frame.
The third quarter saw Jack Condon take over, scoring three of his game-high five goals during the period. Nate Campbell and Condon each converted man-up opportunities, pushing the lead to 12–4.
In the fourth, Pino added his second goal early, and Condon capped his stellar performance with his fifth goal, assisted by Pino. Emmanuel staged a late flurry, scoring four unanswered in the final four minutes — two from Ryan Etzo— but the outcome was never in doubt.
Condon led all scorers with five goals and two assists, while Guilmette added two goals and two assists. Pino contributed two goals and one assist. In net, Michael Catalano made 15 saves across 56 minutes to earn the win.
Emmanuel's offense was led by Etzo with three goals and Cloney with two goals and an assist. Despite their efforts, the Saints were outshot 55–47 and won just 10 of 29 face-offs.
Up Next - The Lasers' victory sets them up with a highly anticipated championship battle against the #1 seed of the GNAC northern division, Rivier University Raiders. Each team was a perfect 9-0 in regular-season conference play, and both also ride double-digit winning streaks into the title game. The game is set to be played on Rivier's Joanne Merrill Field on Saturday, May 3rd at 1 PM.
