STANDISH, Maine – Junior Lily Stark (Saco, Maine) scored 12 seconds into the second overtime period to lift #6 Lasell University (11-7, 7-4 GNAC) past #3 Saint Joseph's College (11-9, 8-3 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Tournament Quarterfinal at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the win, Lasell advances to the second round of the GNAC tourney and will play at #2 Simmons University in a semifinal contest at 5:00 PM on Wednesday.
For the Monks, the loss signals the end of the 2022 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Senior forward Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.) gave the Lasers a 1-0 lead off a McKensie Lennon (Jamestown, R.I.) pass on a well-executed penalty corner play at the 28:13 mark.
Despite having an abundance of opportunities to punch home the equalizer, the Monks did not do so until the 59th minute when freshman Maya Waryas (Bellows Falls, Vt.) scored on a rebound to send the contest into overtime.
Waryas now owns the Monks' single-season goals record with 23 tallies as she surpassed former SJC standout Libby Pomerleau '20, who netted 22 during the 2017 campaign.
TEAM STATS:
The Monks dominated everywhere but the scoreboard, as the hosts held considerable advantages in shots (46-5), shots on goal (15-4), and penalty corners (22-1) in the setback.
THE KEEPERS:
SJC sophomore Kassidy Collins (Gardiner, Maine) made a pair of saves in the loss while Lasell netminder Courtney Tello (Nashua, N.H.) posted 12 stops on the afternoon. Lennon and Kaleigh Miller (Saco, Maine) also recorded a defensive save apiece for the Lasers.
SENIOR SENDOFF:
Today's loss is also the last collegiate field hockey contest for the Monks' six seniors: Aimee Adams (Gardiner, Maine), Morgan Dalton (Livermore Falls, Maine), Alexa Gutowski (North Conway, N.H.), Molly McCluskey (Orono, Maine), Megan Quirion (Oakland, Maine), and Anna Walker (Scarborough, Maine). Since coming to campus as freshmen in 2019, this graduating class has helped the Monks post a 43-18 (.705) overall record with an incredible 25-5 (.833) mark in GNAC play as well as a GNAC Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth in 2019.
