Women's Lacrosse Falls Late To Lasers Thursday, 17-16

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's lacrosse team suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Lasers of Lasell University, 17-16, in the team's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) home opening match, held on the USJ Lacrosse Field Thursday.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Lasell 17, Saint Joseph 16
Records: LU 2-2 (2-1 GNAC), USJ 2-4 (0-2 GNAC)
Location: USJ Lacrosse Field | West Hartford, Conn.

Junior attack Makenzie Dinger (Hingham, Mass.) had a career-day for the Blue Jays, leaving it all on the field with a career-high nine goals. Senior midfielder Jenna Banta (Montville, Conn.) added three. The duo combined to score 12 of 16 goals for Saint Joseph. Dinger now has 33 goals on the season, the best in the GNAC. Her 35 points is second in the conference. Banta meanwhile is tied for third in the GNAC with 20 goals in 2022. Dinger and Banta have combined to score 53 of the Blue Jays 70 goals this season (76%). Senior attack Sophia Gadsden (Randolph, Mass.) led the way for the Lasers with six goals.

It was a tight battle early as the first six goals were traded back and forth. Saint Joseph took control of the middle portion of the contest, taking a 10-6 halftime lead behind goals from Dinger and Banta to close the period. Saint Joseph kept it rolling and actually built the lead to seven, 13-6, but Lasell launched a incredible comeback, scoring 11 of the final 14 goals to snatch the win right from the hosts. The go-ahead goal came with only 1:49 on the clock.

COACH QUOTE [Karen Nell] "I am so proud of the way we came together as a team to fight every second of the game. The team brought great energy and showed what they are capable of. The team is going to use this moment as a stepping stone for the future."

NUMBER TO KNOW

16 – 16 goals is the most the Blue Jays have scored in a GNAC game since March 2015, when they scored 22 against Albertus Magnus in a 22-7 win.

GOALIE BREAKDOWN

LU – Senior goalie Devin Zambruno (Plympton, Mass.) secured the win for the visitors (2-2), allowing 16 goals and making 15 saves in a full 60 minutes.

USJ – Senior captain and goalie Nina Lestrud (Torrington, Conn.) dipped to 2-4 on the season with seven saves and 17 goals allowed while going the distance.

UP NEXT
Women's Lacrosse gets ready to take on Saint Joseph's Maine on Saturday, March 19 at 12:00 p.m. back on the USJ Lacrosse Field. It will be part of a doubleheader with men's lacrosse, which will play Lasell at 3:00 p.m.

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