WLX: Lasell falls to Johnson & Wales in GNAC Semifinal

NEWTON, Mass. – Third-seeded Johnson & Wales University scored five straight goals midway through the second half to turn a 9-7 deficit into a 12-9 lead Wednesday afternoon and went on to a 15-13 upset victory over second-seeded Lasell University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse semifinal at Grellier Field.

In a tightly-contested battle that was tied five times in the first half and again at 7-7 early in the second half, Lasell scored three of the next four goals after JWU took the 12-9 lead to pull to within one goal at 13-12 with 7:26 remaining. But the Wildcats answered with two goals of their own to regain a three-goal margin (13-12) with 4:36 to play, and Lasell could score just one more goal the rest of the way.

The outcome was a bit of revenge against Lasell, which defeated JWU in the regular season on March 31 by a score of 16-13. The Wildcats, now 6-3 and riding a six-game winning streak since that setback, advance to the GNAC Championship game this Saturday, May 1, against top-seeded Emmanuel College after the Saints knocked off fifth-seeded Anna Maria College, 20-1, in Wednesday's other semifinal. Lasell had its five-game winning streak snapped and completes its season at 6-2 overall.

Senior Dani Lydecker (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) scored six goals and added two assists to lead the Wildcats, along with five draw controls and three ground balls. Seniors Marley Medina (South Hadley, Mass.) and Reagan Wildman (Hamden, Conn.) and junior Hadley Borkowski (Allentown, N.J.) added two goals each and sophomore Kayla Datys (Warwick, N.Y.) contributed a goal and three assists.

Graduate student Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.) matched Lydecker with six goals and two assists for the Lasers but was slowed by the strong defense of JWU's Medina. McComb also grabbed a game-high eight draw controls and four ground balls. Juniors Sydney Brady (Westfield, Mass.) and Sophia Gadsden (Randolph, Mass.) added three goals apiece for the Lasers.

Senior defender Paiton Luis (South Hadley, Mass.) made six saves in her first start of the season in goal for JWU, while graduate student Morgan Choquet (Woonsocket, R.I.) made four saves at the other end for Lasell.

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