PROVIDNCE, R.I. (4/23/16) – The Lasell College women's lacrosse team dropped a last-minute decision to Johnson and Wales University, 16-15, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Saturday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle Gro Complex. The Lasers drop to 8-6 overall and 4-3 in league play, while the Wildcats improve to 9-5 this season and 6-1 in the conference.
Sophomore Taylor Yandow (Moretown, Vt.) recorded her third hat trick in four games to lead the Lasers with four goals, two ground balls, and two draw controls. Senior Bridget Doherty (Franklin, Mass.) added a hatty of her own, while classmates Ashlee Pechulis (Westfield, Mass.) and Bridget Munnelly (Bellingham, Mass.) tossed in a pair of goals apiece, joined by freshman Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.). Rounding out the scoring for Lasell was freshman Riley Musial (Clinton, Conn.) and sophomore Danielle Chambrelli (Cheshire, Conn.) who found the back of the net once in the effort.
The teams traded opening markers until the 14th minute when Doherty collected a rebounded shot from classmate Taylor Dooley (Barnstable, Mass.) to create a three-goal gap on the Wildcats, 6-3. The advantage would not last long, as JWU's Lydia Knapp (Glen Falls, N.Y.) put away three consecutive goals to deadlock the contest 6-6 with 11:38 left to go in the half.
Through the next eight minutes of scoreless lacrosse, the Wildcats put up four shots that were denied by junior keeper Bridget Delaney (Weymouth, Mass.) to hold the stalemate. Musial cracked the null with an unassisted goal in the 27th minute, only to be answered with a tally from Elizabeth Tonn (Wantagh, N.Y.) to keep the game tied 7-7. Knapp and Yandow traded closing markers to end the half with 8-8 on the scoreboard.
Much like the first half, the last 30 of the contest proved to be neck and neck until Munnelly notched the two-goal lead with 13:56 left to go, 13-11. Dooley fed Chambrelli for the 15-13 bumper, where the Wildcats took the game for their own, with Rachel Pederzani scoring the 15-15 equalizer before Allison Pazienski netted the go-ahead with 1:09 left in the contest.
Delaney suffered the loss in net for the Lasers (2-2) and stopped 11 shots on frame, while Cristal Benton (Albany, N.Y.) earned the win (8-5) with seven saves.
The Lasers return to Grellier Field for their last regular season contests when they host Albertus Magnus at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26 before wrapping up the year on Saturday, April 30 against Rivier.