NEWTON, Mass. – Simmons soccer (2-11-2, 1-8-1 GNAC) fell to Lasell University (8-5-1, 8-1-1 GNAC) in a tough, Great Northeast Athletic Conference battle on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.
The Lasers went directly towards the Sharks defense from the opening whistle and never went away. The defense was tested early in the game with five shots coming in just the first few minutes. Lasell got on the board first with a goal from Bobbi O'Guin in the 13th minute. Then in the 14th minute, the Lasers were awarded a penalty kick and Caroline St. Croix added to their lead.
The Sharks had a close free kick opportunity by defender Riley Wasiuk, but it was wide. Lasell kept pressing forward with their offense, taking shot after shot, with their third goal coming in the 38th minute, to end the half.
Simmons came out of halftime, determined to get one goal back and work their way up. Once again, Wasiuk led their offensive efforts with a shot towards goal, that ended up being wide. Lasell, didn't stop their offense either, with their fourth goal of the day in the 60th minute.
Junior goalkeeper Marita Nothacker had an impressive performance in net for the Sharks, with 14 saves, tying her career single-game high. In addition, defender Mo Grant had a defensive save of her own, when she headed a shot off the goal-line from a Laser corner kick attempt.
For the rest of the game, Lasell went on to score two more goals, making it six goals for the day. Nonetheless, Simmons kept their heads up and never gave up on their offense, where they had a handful of opportunities towards goalkeeper Kyli Swann, but none of them resulted in a goal.
Simmons Highlights:
- Goalkeeper Marita Nothacker had 14 saves and tied her career best in a single game for saves.
- Senior Riley Wasiuk led the team in shots, with two shots taken in the game.
Game Notes:
- Lasell outshot Simmons 44-4 and had 10 corner kick opportunities.
Up Next:
Simmons will play on Wednesday, October 19 at 7 p.m. against Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.