Saint Joseph's (Maine) Unseats Lasell as GNAC Women's Soccer Champion
The Monks captured the first-ever GNAC women's soccer title in program history and ended Lasell's eight-year championship run with a 1-0 win on Sunday.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of Lasell Athletics Communications
NCAA Tournament to be
announced 1:30 PM on Monday
NEWTON, Mass. – After winning eight straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championships dating back to 2010, top-seeded Lasell College was dethroned on Sunday afternoon at Taylor Field. Tournament MVP Haley DaGraca (Saco, Maine) was the hero for second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine, as the senior forward netted the lone goal in the 60th minute of the GNAC Championship to lift the Monks to their first-ever conference title with a 1-0 triumph over the Lasers.
Saint Joseph's (16-3-0), which won its first game over the Lasers since the 2011 campaign, now awaits its seeding in the NCAA Division III Tournament, as the bracket will be announced in an online selection show Monday, November 5 at 1:30 PM. Meanwhile, the Lasers complete the season at 14-6-0 overall.
In the loss, the Lasers outshot the Monks 17-8, including 10-2 in the second half. Senior Carly Zdanek (Newton, N.J.) created multiple chances for the Lasers, as well as had a game-high seven shots in the defeat.
Saint Joseph's and Lasell were unable to capitalize on chances during the first half. Lasell edged out Saint Joseph's 7-2 on corner-kicks, included 4-2 in the first stanza.
In the second half, Lasell took control early, with three shots before a turnover in the middle of the field led to the Monks grabbing the advantage. DeGraca connected on a pass from Colleen Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) from the right corner, heading the ball past Lasell goalkeeper Angela Sanzari (North Haven, Conn.)
The loss marks the first GNAC loss on Taylor Field since October 15, 2011, when the Monks defeated the Lasers 1-0. Coming into the 2018 GNAC Championship, the Lasers had amassed a 60-0-1 record versus conference opponents at home.
Saint Joseph's goalkeeper Adia Grogan (Kennebunk, Maine) had 10 saves for the Monks to secure the victory. Sanzari had three saves for the Lasers.
DaGraca was joined on the GNAC All-Tournament Team by Sheehan, Grogan, Emily Thornton (Westbrook, Maine) and Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine). Sabrina Morais (Arlington, Mass.) and Caitlin Rotonnelli (Meredith, N.H.) joined Zdanek as members of the All-Tournament Team for Lasell.
2018 GNAC Women's Soccer All-Tournament Team
Kaylin Deschenes, Emmanuel
Lexi Gawron, Emmanuel
Deja Hersey, JWU
Kayla Juliana, JWU
Sabrina Morais, Lasell
Caitlin Rotonnelli, Lasell
Carly Zdanek, Lasell
Haley DaGraca, SJC (MVP)
Adia Grogan, SJC
Colleen Sheehan, SJC
Emily Thornton, SJC
Madeline Wood, SJC
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –