Boston, Mass. - The Lasell College Lasers held on for a 2-1 win, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's soccer action at Simmons College. The win improves Lasell to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play, while Simmons falls to 1-3 on the year and 0-1 in the GNAC.
Lasell used a pair of goals from Bridget Lynch (Dover, N.H.) and sophomore Leah Pappalardo (Whitman, Mass.) stopped 16 shots to propel the Lasers to their second conference win of the season.
The Sharks outshot Lasell 22-13in the opening half, and senior Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) narrowly missed the goal wide on a shot from just outside the box and Kristyn Heuslein (Manchester, N.H.) shot a free kick, which Lasers keeper Leah Pappalardo jumped to deflect to keep the game scoreless.
Lasell took a 1-0 lead at 34:13 when MaryKate Dunphy (Wareham, Mass.) sent a ball across the box to Lynch who beat Sharks goalkeeper Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) on the right side to send the visitors into the break with a 1-0 edge.
In the second half, the Sharks again held an advantage in shots, firing 14 attempts to Lasell's nine, but it was Lasell who struck again with a Lynch's second tally of the night off an assist by Sam Peck (Woodbury, Conn.). Less than six minutes later Keri Acheson (Peabody, Mass.) headed home past Pappalardo to cut the Lasell lead in half at 2-1.
The Sharks hit the cross bar twice and a post in the final five minutes of the game, but were unable to net the equalizer.
Simmons returns to the field on Saturday, September 15th when they travel to GNAC foe Saint Joseph's College in Maine, while Lasell visits Emmanuel on Saturday the 15th looking to continue their winning ways.