Emmanuel Captures Second Straight GNAC Men's Lacrosse Championship
The host and top-seeded Saints defeated second-seeded Mount Ida, 13-6, on Saturday in the GNAC Tournament final.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of Emmanuel Athletics Communications
BOSTON, Mass. – Top-seeded Emmanuel College rolled to a 13-6 win over No. 2 Mount Ida College on Saturday afternoon to win the program's second-consecutive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Lacrosse Championship. With an overall record of 13-4, the Saints have now earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Mount Ida falls to 11-5 on the year with the loss.
Emmanuel wasted no time, with a Saints' offensive onslaught taking place over the first quarter and a half of action. The hosts went on an eight-goal tear to open the game, while holding the visiting Mustangs scoreless until midway through the second quarter. Sophomore Tony Cibelli (Westboro, Mass.) and junior Chris Curtis (Ashland, Mass.) each accounted for a pair of goals during the blitz for the Saints.
Sophomore middie Wyatt Sullivan (Arlington, Mass.) found the back of the net to get Mount Ida on the board with 6:30 remaining in the second quarter. Just 28 seconds after Sullivan's marker, sophomore defenseman Chris Baglivi (Mattituck, N.Y.) fired in his first collegiate goal, bringing the spread to 9-1.
Mount Ida got one more from Peter Hardy (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and the Saints got their tenth goal of the half from Jake Jaskolski (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and Emmanuel took a 10-1 lead into the break at halftime.
The Saints held the Mustangs scoreless throughout the third quarter, while tacking on three additional goals. Baglivi and Curtis each scored unassisted and Michael Donavan (Assonet, Mass.) netted his second of the night, off a feed from Jaskolski to set the score at 13-2 with one quarter remaining to play.
The Mustangs were able to net four goals over the final quarter, including a pair of goals scored on man-up opportunities. The Mount Ida effort came too little too late, as the host Saints cruised to the 13-6 championship win.
Donovan and Jaskolski finished with three points apiece on the day to lead the Saints. Rookie attack Marcus Donahue (Braintree, Mass.) scored twice to lead the visiting Mustangs.
Senior Austin Lauzier (Bedford, N.H.) earned the win in goal for the Saints, making 14 stops in his 55:52 in net. Lauzier improved to 13-4 on the season. Classmate Justin Byers (Indianapolis, Ind.) played the final 4:08 in goal for the Saints in the win.
Cam Hayward (Derry, N.H.) took the loss for Mount Ida, but made 10 saves in the effort, dropping to 11-5 on the year.
2015 GNAC All-Tournament Team
Jake Pickett – Emmanuel (Most Valuable Player)
Chris Baglivi - Emmanuel
Joel Berger - Emmanuel
Tony Cibelli - Emmanuel
Jake Jaskolski - Emmanuel
Steven Koziski - Mount Ida
Alex Veloukas - Mount Ida
Kyle Fernitz - Mount Ida
David Walen – Lasell
Casey Sullivan – Lasell
Andrew Bracy – Norwich
Peter Troiano - Norwich
