Newton, Mass.- In a GNAC battle for the top of the conference standings, sophomore Kyle Cronin (Weymouth, Mass.) scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Lasell College men's soccer victory over Saint Joseph's College of Maine, this afternoon, on Taylor Field. The Lasers retain their claim as the only unbeaten team in the league with a 4-0-1 GNAC mark (7-3-2 overall), while the Monks fall to 4-2-0 in the league (7-5-1 overall).
The teams matched up evenly through a first half which remained scoreless at the break. Lasell took four shots on Will Pike (Gorham, ME) in the Monks net, while St. Joseph's compiled five on Lasell's keeper Julian Dutton (Madison, Conn.), but neither team was successful in their attempts.
St. Joseph's first close opportunity came roughly eight minutes into the second half when Jack Lafreniere (Alton, NH) came in off the bench to take a shot which glazed off the post. Lasell followed up shortly after with Cronin's game-defining mark.
At 56:07, Cronin took off on a breakaway, carrying the ball past two defenders before defeating Pike in a one-on-one challenge, which resulted in the crucial goal. This is Cronin's sixth goal of the season, and third game-winning goal.
Dutton made three saves en route to the shutout win. Also playing a vital role in Lasell's success was key reserve Zachary Johnson (Westbrook, ME), who had an outstanding game in the midfield. Johnson kept the team in check on both offense and defense, winning several challenges in the backfield while also producing offensive opportunities for Lasell.
The Lasers return to GNAC action on Thursday, October 15th at neighboring Mount Ida College. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.