Lasell Women’s Soccer ended their 2024 campaign with a conference record of 8-4-4 securing their spot as fourth in the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). After defeating fifth-seeded Col by Sawyer in the quarter-finals on Nov. 2, they challenged No. 1 Johnson and Wales.
Unfortunately, the game did not go in favor of the Lasers, as they could not fight back from a two-goal deficit. The Lasers beat the Colby-Sawyer Chargers at home in a thrilling manner, following two periods of overtime.
The Chargers got on the board first, with a goal in the twentieth minute from one of their seniors. The Lasers responded a short three minutes later, as graduate student Jordan Chatman scored an unassisted goal. They held their opposition off for the rest of the game, despite being outshot 27-8 with four of those shots on goal.
After keeping the score tied through two periods of overtime, the game moved to penalty kicks. The Lasers scored in three of the four attempted kicks (goals by junior forward Kaleigh Kosta, sophomore defender Brianna Marrero, and sophomore midfielder Mia Pineault), assuring the victory over the Chargers.
In the semi-finals, the team traveled to Providence to test Johnson and Wales. The Wildcats struck first late in the first half and then again in the second half. The Lasers were unable to find the back of the net, nor produce many offensive opportunities.
“We had a hard time finishing,” said Junior midfielder Camdyn LaMarre. “We’d get the ball up the field and do all the work to get it to that point. When it came time to score and finish the ball we struggled. Hopefully next year we can work on that.” The Lasers ended the game with four shots compared to the Wildcats’ 21.
Junior goalie Elizabeth DaSilva was busy in the net, stopping seven shots throughout the match which ended 2-0 in favor of the Wildcats. Looking ahead to next season, the Lasers will try to continue to improve and reach the ultimate goal of winning a GNAC championship.
Sophomore forward Destani Alua-Rioux mentioned the improvement of the group’s chemistry and how it is a building block for success.
Destani Alua-Rioux looks up for a teammate while running on Taylor Field
Photo Credit: Lasell Athletics
“I have high hopes we continue to improve together [and] continue to work as a team instead of individuals,” Alua-Rioux stated. “We will keep working on our team chemistry and will keep getting better together.”
Junior midfielder Peyton Joyce added her thoughts on the necessity for team chemistry, and how the Lasers benefitted from it both on and off the field.
“I think we struggled last year [with chemistry and communication]. This year you can really see an improvement,” Joyce said. “Everyone was a lot closer which led to a better and more exciting environment, at both practices and games.”
Comments