Women's Lacrosse: Lasers fall to 2-2 in GNAC with loss to Simmons

Newton, Mass. – The Lasell University Lasers women's lacrosse team fell in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup with the Simmons University Sharks, 15-7, Saturday afternoon at Grellier Field.

The game today was part of the White Ribbon Campaign going on during this week at Lasell University.

Simmons took control of the game early scoring the first goal less than a minute and a half into the game as sophomore Julia Chausse (East Freetown, Mass.) scored off an assist from junior Sammi Hogan (Westborough, Mass.). The two swapped roles for the Sharks second goal as Hogan scored off the feed from Chausse. Graduate student Abby Stoller (Wayland, Mass.) scored the next goal off a free position attempt and followed up with solo goal to give the Sharks a four-goal lead. Junior Lauren Whitman (Mansfield, Mass.) kept the scoring going as she scored off a Chausse assist. Just before the end of the quarter, Stoller got her hat trick controlling the draw and taking it all the way for the goal to give the Sharks a six to zero lead after one.

Simmons kept it going in the second, as Stoller scored again off her second free position attempt shot. Less than a minute later Whitman got another free position attempt goal for the Sharks. Stoller added her fifth of the half and the third straight free position goal for the Sharks to give the Sharks nine unanswered goals. The Lasers broke through getting their first goal of the game about halfway through the second quarter when senior Sophia Gadsden scored from a free postion attempt. Quickly following the draw, the Sharks added another as Chausse took it coast to coast for the goal. The Sharks pushed their lead to double figures on a goal by senior Lily Devitt (Belmont, Mass.). Simmons scored their final goal of the half on a free position shot by Hogan. The Lasers answered right before the half as Gadsden added her second goal of the game on a free position attempt with 19 seconds left in the quarter to go into half trailing 12-2.

After the high scoring of the first two quarters, the third quarter was much more quiet. Senior Sydney Brady got the scoring started two and a half minutes into the game, scoring off the feed from junior Sheridan Blaha. Simmons answered the Lasell goal as Chausse scored her third off an assist from sophomore Marita Nothacker (Philadelphia, Pa.) which gave the Sharks a 13-6 lead after three.

After going a man-up early in the fourth quarter, junior Emily Chapdelaine scored her first of the game on a free position shot. The Lasers kept trimming the Sharks lead as Gadsden scored her hat trick on an assist by sophomore Teresa Kessner. The Lasers got the Shark lead down to seven when Brady put it home off the Gadsden feed. Simmons quickly answered the three goal Lasell run as Nothacker scored less than a minute after the Brady goal to push the lead back to eight. Whitman scored a second straight for the Sharks off an assist by Nothacker. With a minute and a half remaining Kessner scored but it the Lasers could not come back and fell 15-7 to the Sharks.

Senior Nicole Elliot (Wayne, N.J.) got the win in net making five saves on eight shots. Stoller was the leading scorer in the game with five goals and Chausse added three goals and two assists. Whitman also scored three while assisting on one and Hogan scored two and assisted on two. Devitt and Nothacker both scored one goal apiece and Nothacker assisted on two goals as well for Simmons.

Despite getting the loss senior Devin Zambruno had a good game in net making 17 saves. Gasden was the leading scorer for the Lasers scoring three goals and assisting on one as well. Brady scored two goals and Chapdelaine added a goal herself. Kessner scored one and assisted on one and Blaha assisted on a goal for Lasell.

The Lasers will be back in action on Tuesday, March 29, when they play host to Saint Joseph's College (Maine) in a GNAC matchup. The game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m at Grellier Field.