NEWTON, Mass. – Lasell College (4-3, 4-0 GNAC) tipped Saint Joseph's College (5-4, 2-3 GNAC), 1-0, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer action on Saturday afternoon.
Prior to the game Lasell and Saint Joseph's joined together for Crohn's Disease Awareness, a condition that hits home for both programs. Lasell senior captain Haleigh Butler (Melrose, Mass.) and sister Hannah Butler (Melrose, Mass.), Monks' sophomore forward, stood alongside mother Sheila Butler in a pregame ceremony, and honored her for her strength, resilience, and positivity.
Saint Joseph's came flying out of the gates early on a strong offensive front, but Lasell's back line prevented any surge from the visitors. In just the 4th minute of play, junior Haley DaGraca (Saco, Maine) nearly broke the ice in the conference affair, but Sarah LaClair (Belchertown, Mass.) was there to make her first of many crucial saves in the effort. As the ball bobbled towards LaClair's line, Payten Walker (Hillsborough, N.H.) was there for a sliding save to keep the Monks at bay.
Junior Carly Zdanek (Newton, N.J.) scored the lone goal in the 20th minute from just outside the box to give the Lasers a 1-0 lead. Zdanek now has a team-best six goals on the year, and knocked in her second game-winner this afternoon.
LaClair contributed seven saves total in the shutout victory, including two in the 88th minute as Monks' senior Sarah Comtois (Lowell, Mass.) beat a Lasell defender, but was shut down on the breakaway attempt to tie the game late. Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had two saves for the Monks, and dips to 5-4 this season.
Both teams are back in conference action on Wednesday, September 27. The Lasers travel to Boston, Mass. for a 7:00 p.m. match against Suffolk, while the Monks host Regis College at 7:30 p.m.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
