PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The sixth-seeded Simmons College women's lacrosse team was defeated by host top-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 19-5, this afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship at Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex in Providence, R.I. The Sharks finish their season at 8-12 overall, while the Wildcats improve to 16-4.
The victory gives Johnson & Wales the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will find out their opponent and destination following tonight's selection show at 9:30 p.m.
Johnson & Wales dominated the offensive possession, owning a 43-12 shot advantage and was able to pick up the majority of the loose balls wtih a 37-19 margin on ground balls.
Junior attacker Kasey Fries (Bridgewater, Mass.) led Simmons with a pair of goals and four draw controls to go with a ground ball. She finishes the campaign just one goal short of tying the school record. Sophomore midfielder Ana Giarrusso (Hingham, Mass.) netted a pair of goals in addition to two ground balls, two draw controls and a caused turnover and sophomore middie Elena Bragg (Belmont, Mass.) found the back of the net and added two ground balls, a draw control and a caused turnover. Bragg's goal was her 40th of the year to give the Sharks three 40-goal scorers for the first time in school history. Senior defender Sara Rademacher (North Haven, Conn.) finishes her career as the program's all-time games played leader with 65.
Fries, Giarrusso and Bragg were all named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.
Junior goalie Chyenne Yeager (Indiana, Pa.) stopped 12 shots for the Sharks for her fifth double-digit save effort of the year.
First year midfielder Maria Patane (Greenwich, N.Y.) tallied a career-high nine points on five goals and four assists to lead the Wildcats and added a ground ball and a draw control, while senior midfielder Lydia Knapp (Glens Falls, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Allison Pazienski (New Hyde, N.Y.) each registered five points with four goals and an assist each. Knapp also added eight draw controls, five ground balls and two caused turnovers, while Pazienski picked up four ground balls and won a draw control. Junior goalie Marianna Consiglio (New Fairfield, Conn.) made two saves in the victory.
Junior attacker Gabrielle Vasile (Milford, Mass.) netted the first two goals of the game for Johnson & Wales as part of a three-goal burst to begin the match. The Sharks responded with back-to-back goals from Bragg and Giarrusso to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 18:59 showing in the opening period. It was as close as Simmons would get as the Wildcats ripped off 11 straight goals to take a 14-2advantage with 4:48 to play in the half, fueled by four scores from Pazienski and three from Patane.
Fries scored the final marker of the half with 2:41 to go to make it 14-3.
The teams traded the first four goals of the second stanza with Knapp and Fries matching each other and Patane and Giarrusso countering one another, before Johnson & Wales scored the final three goals of the match.