BRIGHTON, Mass. – Freshman goalie Makena Leazer (Nashua, N.H.) made six saves to record her first collegiate shutout to lead the Lasell College field hockey team to a 3-0 victory over host Simmons University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match today at Daly Field.

The Lasers improve to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in league play, while the Sharks fall to 2-4 and 0-1.

Lasell owned a 12-7 shot advantage, while Simmons held a 6-5 edge on penalty corners.

The Lasers scored a pair of goals within the first 16 minutes of play. Junior forward Sam Taylor (Hanover, Mass.) rifled a shot off the Sharks keeper during a penalty corner opportunity, before senior back Riley Musial (Clinton, Conn.) finished with a rebound shot that found the back of the cage for her first collegiate score and a 1-0 Lasell lead with 21:53 left in the opening period. The Lasers added to their lead, just over two minutes later for a 2-0 lead. Senior forward Nikki Pignone (Ipswich, Mass.) came off the bench and found a loose ball in front of the cage, before burying a shot into the vacated left side of the cage for her third goal of the year with 19:29 to play in the half. 

The lead held going into the intermission with the visitors claiming an 8-2 shot count. Simmons showed some fight in the second stanza with a 5-4 shooting edge, but Lasell scored the lone goal of the half.

Senior forward Cailin Flannery (Medford, N.J.) took a short cross from Taylor in front of the cage and scored in a scrum for her team-leading sixth marker of the season to make it 3-0 for the Lasers with 22:59 remaining in the match. 

First year midfielder Emily Plummer (San Diego, Calif.) led the Sharks offensive effort with three shots. Sophomore keeper Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) stopped a season-high eight shots for Simmons.

The Sharks return to action on Wednesday, September 19 when they travel to Norton, Mass. to take on Wheaton College (Mass.) for a 7:00 p.m. start, while Lasell hosts New England College on September 18 at 4:00 p.m.        

(Courtesy of Simmons Athletic Communications) 

-- 30 --