Standish, ME- Tina Canavan (Stonington, Conn.) led the Lasers to a hard fought win over Saint Joseph's Maine on Saturday with six goals as Lasell defeated the Monks 18-15. Canavan also won seven draw controls, scored on two penalty shots, and added two ground balls to the mix as the Lasers notched their fourth GNAC victory.
The score was tied just once as at 25:55 in the first when Andrea Ward (Hingham, Mass.) scored unassisted to even things out at 1-1. The Lasers then took off on a five goal run and never lost the lead from that point on, though the Monks kept it close.
Lexi Giatrelis (Mashpee, Mass.) scored the move-ahead goal at 21:25 when Lasell's leading point scorer Caitlyn Murphy (Katonah, NY) shot her a pass in the middle. Canavan's first mark was a penalty shot just half a minute later followed by another Ward score as she made her way through the lane to take the shot all alone.
Two more goals by Canavan and one more each from Ward and Meredith Hessler (Middletown, RI) gave Lasell a 9-5 halftime lead.
Jenna Stitt (Auburn, NH) began the second half connecting past Taylor Allison in the Monks net. Saint Joe's kept in pace with Lasell answering each of the Lasers goals with one of their own, but the Lasers had built up such an advantage in the first that they did not get closer than a three goal disadvantage through the rest of the contest.
Kristin Coderre (Monson, Mass.) finished the game with 22 saves in net, eleven in each half of play. Ward closed out the day with four points on three goals and an assist, and Kendall Bareirro (Ossining, NY) also tallied three scores and three draw controls.
Lasell begins playoff action at Norwich University on Wednesday, April 22nd with a 2:00 pm start time in the semi finals.