STANDISH, Maine – Junior midfielder Elena Bragg (Belmont, Mass.) netted four goals and added an assist to lead the Simmons College women's lacrosse team in a 16-9 loss to host Saint Joseph's College (Maine) this afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener at the Saint Joseph's College Athletic Complex in Standish, Maine. The Sharks fall to 4-2 overall, including 0-1 in league play, while the Monks improve to 5-1 and 1-0.
The match consisted of two big scoring runs from Saint Joseph's bookended around a scoring flourish from Simmons with the Monks coming out on top. Saint Joseph's took advantage of a 40-21 shot margin and forced the Sharks into 20 turnovers, while committing 10 itself.
Bragg added three ground balls and a pair of draw controls to her afternoon for Simmons, while junior midfielder Mallory Cottam (Hope, R.I.) netted a trio of goals, won five draws and caused a pair of turnovers. Junior attacker Missie Maiewski (Northampton, Mass.) and senior attacker Kasey Fries (Bridgewater, Mass.) each tallied a goal with Maiewski also picking up a ground ball. First year goalie Cat Cross (Beverly, Mass.) was outstanding, matching the school record with 21 saves between the pipes for the Sharks.
Seniors Kayla and Kara Kelly (York, Maine) each posted seven-point efforts with each netting five goals apiece for the Monks. Kayla won a game-high nine draws and picked up five ground balls to go with caused turnover, while Kara came up with five ground balls. Senior attacker Elyse Caiazzo (Scarborough, Maine) contributed with five points, including four goals and added four draw controls and a match-high eight ground balls. Sophomore netminder Kaylin Mansir (West Gardiner, Maine) stopped seven shots to earn the victory for Saint Joseph's.
Simmons erased an 8-2 first half deficit by scoring the final two goals of the period and carried its momentum into the second half, scoring four unanswered markers to knot the score at 8-8 with 20:12 left in the second stanza. Bragg fueled the comeback with three goals and assisted on the equalizer from classmate Missie Maiewski (Northampton, Mass.) to make it eight-all.
The Monks regrouped and countered with six straight goals, including two each from Kayla and and Kara Kelly as well as a pair from Caiazzo to take a 14-8 lead with 8:18 showing on the second half clock.
Cottam ended the Sharks' scoring drought with her 15th tally of the year at 7:11 of the period, but it was the last score for the visitors as Saint Joseph's put two more goals on the board before the final whistle with one marker each from Kayla Kelly and junior defender Brittney Arsenault (Westbrook, Maine) to make it 16-9.
Bragg opened the match's scoring for Simmons at 25:14 of the opening half, before the Monks scored eight of the next nine goals to open up an 8-2 advantage with 3:23 remaining in the half. The Kelly's opened and closed a four-goal burst with Kara scoring at 23:11 and Kayla netting a marker at 12:12 for a 4-1 home team lead. Cottam interrupted the scoring barrage for the Sharks with her first marker of the day at 11:57, before Kara Kelly netted back-to-back goals in a 90-second span to give Saint Joseph's a 6-2 lead. Kayla Kelly and Caiazzo scored the final two goals of the offensive spurt for the Monks.
Simmons' next match on Thursday, March 22 hosting GNAC foe Johnson & Wales University at 7:00 p.m. at Daly Field has been postponed without a firm make-up date at this time, while Saint Joseph's returns to action on Saturday, March 24 when it heads to New Haven, Conn. to take on Albertus Magnus College at 1:00 p.m.