NEWTON, Mass. – Senior Allison Pazienski (New Hyde Park, N.Y. ) and junior Maria Patane (Greenwich, N.Y.) each had nine-point games Saturday afternoon as Johnson & Wales University defeated Lasell College, 21-15, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse action at Grellier Field.

The defending GNAC champion Wildcats improve to 7-3 overall and move to a league-leading 5-0 in GNAC play, while the Lasers drop to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Pazienski scored eight goals and added one assist and Patane scored six goals and added three assists in the Wildcats' victory. Sophomore Dani Lydecker (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) chipped in with three goals, two assists and a game-high nine draw controls and sophomore Marley Medina (South Hadley, Mass.) contributed two goals, three assists, six draw controls and a team-high three caused turnovers.

Junior Amanda DiLeonardo (West Haven, Conn.) led the Lasers with six goals and seven draw controls, while senior Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.) added five goals and classmate Vanessa Pino (Methuen, Mass.) was good for four goals and two assists.

JWU led 4-1 after the first 10 minutes with goals by four different players. The teams went back and forth over the next 10 minutes, with Lasell pulling to within one goal (6-5) with 12:40 remaining in the half. The Wildcats went on a tear with six unanswered goals before the home team scored twice in the last minute as JWU held a 12-7 lead at the half.

Johnson & Wales extended its lead to 17-9 midway through the second half. Lasell got as close as six goals (18-12) with nine minutes remaining, but JWU proved too strong and went on to the six-goal victory. The visitors finished with a 23-13 advantage in draw controls, a 48-28 margin in shots, and a 21-13 bulge in ground balls.

The Lasers are back in action on Wednesday, April 3, when they visit Rivier University for a GNAC match-up at 7 p.m. JWU visits MIT for a non-conference affair on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

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