NEWTON, MA - Lasell College (7-3-2, 4-0-1 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's (7-5-1, 4-2), 1-0, in GNAC Men's Soccer action on Monday afternoon. Will Pike '10 (Gorham, ME) made six saves for the Monks in a losing effort.

In a GNAC battle for the top of the conference standings, sophomore Kyle Cronin (Weymouth, MA) scored the lone goal for Lasell College.

The teams matched up evenly through a first half which remained scoreless at the break. Lasell took four shots on Pike in the Monks net, while Saint Joseph's compiled five on Lasell's keeper Julian Dutton (Madison, CT), but neither team was successful in their attempts.

Saint Joseph's first close opportunity came roughly eight minutes into the second half when Jack LaFreniere (Alton, NH) came in off the bench to take a shot which glazed off the post. Lasell followed up shortly after with Cronin's game-defining mark.

At 56:07, Cronin took off on a breakaway, carrying the ball past two defenders before defeating Pike in a one-on-one challenge, which resulted in the crucial goal. This is Cronin's sixth goal of the season, and third game-winning goal.

Dutton made three saves in the shutout win. Also playing a vital role in Lasell's success was key reserve Zachary Johnson (Westbrook, ME), who had an outstanding game in the midfield. Johnson kept the team in check on both offense and defense, winning several challenges in the backfield while also producing offensive opportunities for Lasell.

The Lasers return to GNAC action on Thursday, October 15th at neighboring Mount Ida College. Game time is set for 3:30 PM. Saint Joseph's will host Mount Ida on Saturday at 3:30 PM.

COURTESY OF LASELL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

St. Joseph's (Me.) (7-5-1) vs. Lasell (7-3-2)
Date: Oct 12, 2009  Attendance: 353
Weather: cloudy and brisk

Goals by period       1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
St. Joseph's (Me.)..  0  0 -  0
Lasell..............  0  1 -  1

SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  56:07 LAS Kyle Cronin (unassisted) - dribble past the goalie for a shot inside the 6

Shots: St. Joseph's (Me.) 9, Lasell 10
Saves: St. Joseph's (Me.) 6 (Will Pike 6), Lasell 3 (Julian Dutton 3)