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GNAC Championship Awaits Women’s Lacrosse after 18-11 Victory over JWU

NEWTON, Mass. (4/24/15) – The No. 2 seeded Lasell College women’s lacrosse team earned a spot in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship after defeating No. 3 seeded Johnson and Wales University 18-11 Friday afternoon at Grellier Field. The Lasers improve their overall record to 12-5, while the Wildcats close their 2015 campaign at 13-3.

GNAC Championship Awaits Women’s Lacrosse after 18-11 Victory over JWU
April 24, 2015
Box Score

Women's Lacrosse is Championship Bound

NEWTON, Mass. (4/24/15) – The No. 2 seeded Lasell College women's lacrosse team earned a spot in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship after defeating No. 3 seeded Johnson and Wales University 18-11 Friday afternoon at Grellier Field. The Lasers improve their overall record to 12-5, while the Wildcats close their 2015 campaign at 13-3.

Senior Toni Minelli (Newington, Conn.) and freshman Taylor Yandow (Moretown, Vt.) registered four goals apiece to propel the Lasers to the final round of the GNAC playoffs. Minelli went a perfect 3-for-3 in free position opportunities, while Yandow dominated a game-high six draw controls. Juniors Bridget Doherty (Franklin, Mass.) and Bridget Munnelly (Bellingham, Mass.) tallied a hat trick each, while senior Caitlyn Brecher (Cheshire, Conn.) tossed in a pair of goals as well.

Sophomore leading goal scorer Lydia Knapp (Glens Falls, N.Y.) added three goals and three assists in the effort, while rookie Racquel Pederzani (Coventry, R.I.) contributed with hat trick and a single assist.

Each team traded a pair of goals in the opening stanza, followed by three unanswered goals from Lasell to boost the hosts up 4-1. After Minelli secured the free position shot for the 5-1 advantage, the Wildcats responded with two goals of their own, slicing the deficit to two, 5-3.

Netting her second free position shot of the day, Minelli gave the Lasers some breathing room 6-3 with 8:44 left, assured by a Munnelly goal 1:12 later. The Wildcats were relentless in the following plays, scoring back-to-back goals via Pederzani and Knapp. Knapp owned the draw control following a Lasell marker by junior Ashlee Pechulis (Westfield, Mass.), which led to a JWU goal from Pederzani to keep the visitors in the two-point reach.

The slim margin of points wouldn't last for long, as Lasell rattled off four goals in the opening minutes of the second stanza. With 22:16 left, Pederzani found freshman Gabrielle Vasile (Milford, Mass.) for the visitors' seventh goal of the afternoon. The Wildcats attempted a late-game rally with 6:15 left, as Knapp and sophomore Megan Brown (Great Mills, M.D.) teamed up for back-to-back goals in 1:05 time frame. However the Lasers remained focused in the closing plays of the game, as Yandow scored the final two goals of the game to give the Lasers the 18-11 victory. 

Lasell held a slim 23-21 and 16-15 advantage in ground balls and draw controls, respectively. The Lasers were 10-13 in transition, while also outshooting the visitors 29-21.

Senior keeper Alexa Katsigianis (Amherst, N.H.) earned the win in between the pipes with six saves in the full 60 minutes of play. Senior goalie Genevieve Giampietro (Meriden, Conn.) suffered the loss, allowing five goals on six shots, before freshman Prachi Joglekar (Boston, Mass.) registered seven saves and 13 goals against in 43:08 minutes of relief.

The Lasers' fate is dependent on tonight's GNAC semifinal round in Scarborough, Maine at 8:00 p.m. featuring the No. 1 Monks of Saint Joseph's (Me.) and the No. 4 Saints of Emmanuel College.