NEWTON, Mass. – The Simmons field hockey team was defeated by host Lasell College, 3-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match this afternoon on Grellier Field in Newton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 10-6 overall and 5-2 in league play, while the Lasers improve to 14-3 and a perfect 7-0 in GNAC action to clinch their first-ever regular-season title. Simmons will be the number three seed in the upcoming GNAC Championship Tournament Quarterfinals on October 28, while Lasell earns a first round bye to the November 1 Semifinals.
The Lasers owned a 19-2 shot advantage over the Sharks, including 8-0 in the second half.
Sophomore Samantha Taylor (Hanover, Mass.) scored all three goals to lead the Lasers.
Lasell peppered the Sharks' defense early and often, as Taylor tried to ignite the surge in the 15th minute, but Sharks' sophomore Krystianna Pietrzak (Bennington, Vt.) was there to swipe the goal off the line for the first defensive save of her career.
Six minutes later, junior Cailin Flannery (Medford, N.J.) came up with a big stop in transition for the Lasers and took the ball up the right side. Flannery then crossed the ball into the middle, and found Taylor for the first goal of the game, her 13th of the season.
Taylor's second goal of the game came at 28:32, as she lined up for a penalty corner with seven minutes left to play in the half. Taylor's dish went out to the center for senior Erica Connors (Berwick, Maine), who redirected it to frame and found Taylor on the left side. Taylor tipped it into the bottom left corner for the 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Lasell continued to press the Simmons defense with force, and scored the final goal of the game at 42:11. Taylor again took the penalty corner for the Lasers with the Sharks down a player, due to a green card, this time finding the stick of junior Julie Franzik (Wallingford, Conn.). Franzik dished the ball back out to Taylor, who finished in the middle netting of the left side.
Senior forward Sammy Rondeau (Franklin, Mass.) and Meghan Fontaine (Westminster, Mass.) each attempted a shot to pace the Sharks' offensive effort.
Simmons' first year keeper Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) made six saves in the effort, while senior Denise Landry (New Milford, Conn.) went untested to earn the victory for the Lasers.
The Sharks return to action on Tuesday, October 24 with a road match in North Dartmouth, Mass., taking on University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 7:00 p.m. in their regular-season finale, while Lasell closes out the regular season on October 25, hosting Framingham State University at 3:30 p.m.