Women's Soccer Seeking History in GNAC Finals vs. Suffolk
NEWTON, Mass. (11/7/13) – The Lasell College women's soccer team will host Suffolk University on Saturday November 9th at 1:00 p.m. in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship at Taylor Field. Top-seeded Lasell brings a 16-3-1 record into the contest, while sixth seeded Suffolk stands at 7-11-1 in 2013. The Lasers are looking to become the first program in Lasell College history to win four consecutive conference championships, and would set a new single season record for victories with a win.
Lasell defeated Suffolk when the two teams met on October 17th, outscoring the Rams 4-0 on two goals each from Bridget Lynch and Devon Day. The Lasers used a 22-9 edge in shots and 16-4 advantage in shots on goal to earn the road victory.
Scouting the Rams:
Suffolk's offensive attack is led by senior Taylor Miranda who has 14 goals and three assists and Gabrielle Balestrier who has one goal and eight assists on the season. Miranda's 14 goals is the third highest mark in the conference and Balestrier ranks third in the GNAC in assists. Melissa Brouilette has been a steadying influence for the Rams in net, stopping 147 shots for the year.
Suffolk has reached the finals by capturing a pair of narrow victories, taking a defensive approach and looking capitalizing on high quality counter-attacking chances. The Rams tied with St. Joseph's of Maine, advancing over the third seeded Monks on penalty kicks 4-3 with each team using 6 penalty takers. Balestrier and Miranda linked up for the Rams goal in the 72nd minute to tie the score at 1-1 after conceding an early goal. Suffolk then squared off with seventh seeded Simmons, in the semifinal round. The Rams again sat back defensively, sticking numbers behind the ball and looking to counter. Despite being outshot 28-7 in the contest, Suffolk sprung Miranda in the 71st minute for an unassisted goal then held on for a 1-0 victory.
Breaking Down the Series:
The 2013 championship match will be a replay of the 2011 GNAC final when Lasell won their second straight GNAC title with a 2-1 result. This is the third consecutive season Lasell has matched up with Suffolk in the GNAC tournament, with Lasell knocking off the Rams 3-0 in the 2012 quarterfinals. Lasell is 9-0 against Suffolk since joining the GNAC prior to the 2007 season, outscoring them 31-3 in those nine contests.