WLX: Lasell edged by Regis in GNAC nail biter

WESTON, Mass. – The Lasell College women's lacrosse outscored Regis College 5-1 over the final 15 minutes Wednesday evening but the Pride held on for an 11-10 victory over the Lasers in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's lacrosse match at Regis Stadium.

Regis, 6-1 overall, remains undefeated in conference play (4-0) and in a tie for first place, while Lasell had its six-game winning streak snapped and dropped its first GNAC game of the season (2-1), falling to 7-2 overall.

Alyssa Kelly (Lee, Mass.) led the Pride with a season-high four goals, while Brooke Ross (Hanover, Mass.) and Jordan Ringuette (Colchester, Conn.) scored two goals apiece. Kerri Anselmo (Natick, Mass.) finished with one goal and four assists, and Brooke Greatorex (Gorham, Maine) led the defense by causing three turnovers.

Senior Vanessa Pino (Methuen, Mass.) led the Lasers with five goals. Senior Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.) collected three goals, one assist, and seven draw controls, and junior Amanda DiLeonardo (West Haven, Conn.) picked up the other two Lasell goals along with four draw controls.

Regis took an early 3-0 lead, and after Pino put the Lasers on the board, the Pride tacked on three more to pull out to a 6-1 advantage. Pino scored again and McComb tallied two late first-half goals to pull Lasell to within three goals, 7-4, at halftime.

 The hosts tallied three of the first four goals of the second half and held a 10-5 lead with 14 minutes remaining. The Lasers would not go down quietly, as McComb, Pino and DiLeonardo scored three goals in less than a minute to pull to with two, 10-8, with 11 minutes remaining. Kelly scored what turned out to be the game-winner with 8:42 on the clock. The Pride had two chances to extend their lead further, but Laser goalie Morgan Choquet (Woonsocket, R.I.) made two key saves to keep her team in the match. 

Even though Lasell was a player down due to a yellow card, it was able to create two free position chances within 23 seconds of each other, and Pino was successful on both of them to bring the Lasers within one. McPherson made a save on a shot by Kellie Matthews (Walpole, Mass.) with 1:29 left in regulation, and then a turnover caused by Ross allowed the Pride to run out the clock.

All of McPherson's eight saves came in the second half, while Choquet finished with 10 saves, including six in the first half. 

Regis starts a busy week of three road matches by heading to Boston to face Emmanuel College Monday, April 1, for a 7 p.m. start. Lasell hosts Johnson & Wales Saturday, March 30, beginning at 3 p.m.

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