STANDISH, ME - #2 Saint Joseph's College (14-3, 7-2 NAC) toppled #7 Lasell College (10-10, 4-5 NAC), 4-1, in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Field Hockey Tournament quarterfinal contest at Mercy Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances in the conference tourney and will host #3 Husson University in a NAC semifinal matchup on Wednesday, start time TBD. Husson edged #6 Thomas College, 2-1, in other quarterfinal action today. The loss signals the end of the 2013 season for Lasell.

The Monks survived an early scare, as the Lasers managed to score first when Cristina Wilson (Wilmington, Mass.) broke free from the SJC defense and scored on a breakaway just 6:14 into the contest. Saint Joseph's responded just over six minutes later when freshman Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine) scored off a Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) pass to knot the game at one-apiece.

Junior Effie Drew (Portland, Maine) netted her first of two markers on the day with a score that proved to be the game-winner at the 17:02 mark. Drew used her quickness to bear down on the cage in close proximity and attempted a shot that Lasell keeper Taylor Sheehan (Brewster, Mass.) partially stopped with her blocker, but the ball sailed high in the air into the right corner to make it a 2-1 game in favor of the Royal Blue.

Sophomore Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H./Saint Thomas Aquinas) scored the Monks' third goal of the afternoon just 1:43 later, as the second-year defender corralled a rebound off a Carley Denis (Lewiston, Maine) attempt and Sheehan save and slammed a shot to the back of the cage to lift the hosts to a 3-1 advantage.

Drew went on to net her second tally of the afternoon in the 42nd minute when she scored on a rebound off her original shot to account for the 4-1 final. Williams was credited with an assist on the play.

In goal, Saint Joseph's freshman Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) collected the victory after making a pair of saves while Sheehan produced 10 stops in a losing effort for the Lasers.

Saint Joseph's held decided advantages in both shots (20-3) and penalty corners (11-2) in the playoff triumph.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's avenges a 2-1 regular-season setback at the hands of Lasell College and improves to 12-3 in the history of the series with the Lasers.

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 430-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.