April 20, 2009

BOSTON, MA - Saint Joseph's (6-7, 3-3 GNAC) edged Simmons College (3-8, 2-4), 17-16, in the final women's lacrosse conference game of the season for both teams on Monday evening. The win propels the Lady Monks into the GNAC playoffs, as the #4 seed, for the second time in as many years in the conference. St. Joe's will play top-seeded Emerson College on Wednesday in a GNAC semifinal contest, time TBA.

Alyssa Marhant '11 (Wakefield, MA) scored five goals to lead the victors and Lizzie Farley '11 (Scarborough, ME) netted three markers in the must-win contest. Lauren Hagerman '10 (Scarborough, ME) added two goals and four assists, while Vanessa Brooks '10 (Bath, ME) and Amelia Santos '12 (Beverly, MA) each chipped in with a pair of scores. SJC goalkeeper Taylor Allison '12 (Pawtucket, RI) made nine stops in net.

The Sharks, aided by a 6-3 surge to close out the first half, carried an 8-7 edge going into intermission.

Simmons extended its lead to two goals, with scores from Lee Sutherland '12 (Tuftonboro, NH) and Emily Sypher '10 (Orono, ME) to offset a Farley goal, and led 10-8 with 28:11 to play. The Lady Monks responded with a pair of markers in the following five minutes, one from Jaimee Brett '10 (Otisfield, ME) and the other from Farley, to tie the game.

A see-saw battle for the final conference playoff spot ensued, as the lead changed hands four times and the game was tied on five occasions during the final 23 minutes.

Trailing 13-12, Marchant scored a pair of goals, the final coming at the 14:14 mark, to give her team its first lead of the second stanza, 14-13. The edge was quickly negated, however, as Freya Damrell '09 (Georgetown, ME) countered the Marchant scores with a pair of her own in the subsequent 56 seconds, lifting the hosts to a 15-14 advantage.

Marchant went on to net her fifth goal of the game 38 seconds later to knot the game at 15, and Santos put the Lady Monks up by a goal with a marker at the 11:20 mark.

A goal from Sutherland a minute later would tie the game at 16-all. Nearly eight minutes of scoreless play followed before Hagerman scored the game-winner with 2:48 remaining in regulation.

Lilly Rodden '11 (Lebanon, ME) and Logen Ryley '10 (Leominster, MA) both added goals in the triumph.