NEWTON, Mass. (10/21/15) – Lasell men's soccer senior Conor Fitzgerald (Marshfield, Mass.) scored two second-half goals to stun the Monks of Saint Joseph's (Maine) 2-0 in a crucial Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers improve to 3-10 overall and 3-5 in the GNAC, while the Monks drop to 10-5-1 this season and 5-3 in conference play.

After both teams played to a scoreless first half, the Lasers applied immediate pressure on the Monks' defensive line. Senior Nick Liquori (Westfield, Mass.) sprinted up the right flank and took a touch inside, where he found Fitzgerald on the pass. Fitzgerald then took a one-time shot to the lower left corner of the net to put the home team up 1-0 in the 54^th minute.

Liquori continued to have an offensive presence in St. Joe's defensive end, as he wound up for a long shot that was stopped by Monks' freshman keeper Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.). The Lasers would strike again in the 61^st minute, as Fitzgerald fended off a Monks' defender and volleyed goal number two into the left netting for the 2-0 bump.

Immediately following the goal, the Monks' midfield pressed forward and sent a promising ball into the box. Freshman Jesse Ramirez (Dumont, N.J.) got the end of it and fired off a shot that was stopped by a sprawling senior keeper Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela). Colmenares continued to stand tall on his line in the 84^th minute, as the Monks drew a foul in the Lasers' defensive territory. Freshman Mitchell Cyr (Rochester, N.H.) released a shot on the play, however, Colmenares secured the 2-0 victory for the Lasers with a diving save.

The shot count for both teams was locked even at 10 apiece, while Saint Joseph's held a slim 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Colmenares earns his third shutout of the season with five saves in the game, and improves his record to 3-10. Mullen drops to 5-3 this season, and recorded five saves in the effort for the Monks.

Both teams will resume the pitch on Saturday, October 24 for a critical conference matchup. The Lasers will head to crosstown rival Mount Ida College for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff, while the Monks welcome Norwich University at 12:00 p.m.