Men's Lacrosse Drops GNAC Opener at Lasell, 15-7, Saturday Afternoon

NEWTON, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team fell on the road at Lasell University (Lasell), 15-7, to open its 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule, Saturday afternoon on Grellier Field in Auburndale, Mass.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Lasell 15, USJ 7
Records: Lasell 3-4 (1-0 GNAC), USJ 3-3 (0-1 GNAC)
Location: Grellier Field | Auburndale, Mass.

The Lasers jumped out to an early lead, scoring three unanswered goals to hold a 3-0 edge at the 8:28 mark. Sophomore midfield Christian Decker (Brisotl, Conn.) put an end to the Lasell run, firing past the home team's goalkeeper after receiving a pass from classmate Jay Kajander (Reading, Mass.) at the 7:09 mark. USJ continued to claw their way back, as a solo effort from senior attack Matt Crisco (North Haven, Conn.) cut the deficit to one, 3-2, with 1:35 left in the first. However, Lasell would score twice to reestablish a three-goal lead, 5-2, but a man-up goal from freshman midfield Nick Pestrichello (Wethersfield, Conn.) closed the gap to two, 5-3, entering the second quarter.

Lasell found the back of the net twice inside the opening minute of the second quarter, breaking open a 7-3 advantage. Kajander though would put a quick stop to the Lasell run during a man-up chance, getting a pass from senior attack Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.) before rifling his effort into the net, cutting the score to 7-4 at the 11:02 mark. However, Lasell would shut down the USJ offense for the remainder of the quarter while tacking on two goals to head into the halftime break up, 9-4.

USJ wasted little time in the second half to find the back of the net, taking full advantage of a man-up opportunity as Baden took a pass from Decker before cutting the gap to four, 9-5, 19 seconds into the third quarter. The game would fall quiet after the goal as neither offense could generate a clear-cut chance, until Lasell found the back of the net at the 6:40 mark, increasing the lead to 10-5. However, freshman midfielder Cam Fonseca (Saunderstown, R.I.) quickly pulled one back or USJ with 2:21 on the clock, getting the Blue Jays within four, 10-6.

The Lasers though ended the third quarter by scoring a goal, kick starting a run of five unanswered goals, concluding with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter to take a 15-6 edge. Decker would score with 57 seconds left in the game from a man-up opportunity, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as USJ fell, 15-7, in its GNAC opener.

GOALIE BREAKDOWN

LASELL –Michael Catalano played most of the game in goal for Lasell, earning the win after allowing six goals and making eight saves in 55:25 minutes of play. Liam Hill played the remaining 4:35 in-between the pipes, tallying two saves while allowing one goal.

USJ – Senior Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) played all 60 minutes in goal for USJ, picking up the loss (0-1), allowing 15 goals while tallying 14 saves.

BATTLE AT THE 'X'

USJ held a slim 13-11 edge at the face-off X on the afternoon. Sophomore Luke von Borstel (Massena, N.Y.) was the primary faceoff man for USJ, winning nine of his 15 attempts at the "X".

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays return to the USJ Lacrosse Field for a GNAC matchup against Anna Maria College on Tuesday, March 21. Start time against the AMCATS is slated for 4:00 p.m. in West Hartford, Conn.

Follow USJ Athletics
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays