NEWTON, Mass. - #2 Lasell University (13-4-0) defeated #3 Saint Joseph's College (12-8-0), 2-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Semifinal matchup on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lasers received first-half goals from Alyssa DeOliveira and Alexys Suojanen to advance to the GNAC Championship game for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. Lasell will face the winner of the #4 University of Saint Joseph / #1 Johnson & Wales University in the title game, with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line, on Saturday.
For the Monks, today's loss brings an end to the 2021 season and the college soccer careers for the program's nine seniors: Emma Auclair (Kittery, Maine), Caitlin Callahan (Gorham, Maine), Maddi Cormier (Bangor, Maine), Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine), Elizabeth Flynn (Kennebunk, Maine), Adia Grogan (Kennebunk, Maine), Kayley Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.), Kimberly Santos (Medford, Mass.), and Eilidh Sidaway (Dedham, Maine).
This the 2022 graduating class led the Royal Blue to a 42-16-3 (.689) overall record with a 29-7-1 (.784) mark in GNAC play with a pair of GNAC Championship game appearances. As freshmen, these players helped the Monks win the 2018 GNAC Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Lasell held the lead in shots (18-7), shots on goal (10-3), and corner kicks (12-2) in the triumph while Grogan posted eight saves and Lasers keeper Angela Sanzari made three stops in a shutout performance.