Blue Lacrosse Holds Off Lasell for 10-7 Victory

WELLESLEY, Mass. — Wellesley College lacrosse scored five unanswered goals to open the game en route to a 10-7 victory over visiting Lasell College on Wednesday afternoon at the Wellesley Outdoor Fields Complex. The Blue improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Lasers drop to 1-2. 

Sophomore Nikki Sharkin (Summit, N.J.) scored five of Wellesley's ten goals, while senior Claire Canty finished with three goals, a game-high three assists and a game-high seven draw controls. Sophomore Wendy Nettleton made 10 saves in goal to earn the victory. 

Senior Caitlyn Brecher scored a pair of second half goals to pace the Lasers, who also got eight saves from senior goalkeeper Alexa Katsigianis (Amherst, N.H.). Katsigianis and junior Lisi Anczok (Buffalo, N.Y.) also tied for team-high honors with three ground balls apiece. 

Sharkin opened the scoring less than a minute into the contest with her fourth goal of the season. Sharkin would then add another strike on the Blue's next possession as Wellesley jumped to a  2-0 lead just a minute and ten seconds into the contest. 

First year Mayu Kikuchi (Villanova, Pa.) extended the Blue advantage at 27:16 of the first half, scoring the first goal of her collegiate career to give Wellesley a 3-0 lead less than there minutes into the contest. 

Sharkin added her third goal of the game at 18:39, ripping home a shot on an assist from senior Claire Canty (East Rockaway, N.J.) to record her second hat trick in as many games this season. Canty would add a goal of her own to complete Wellesley's 5-0 run, scoring on a free position shot at 6:52.

Lasell junior Bridget Doherty (Franklin, Mass.) got the visitors on the board with just under five minutes left in the first, scoring on an assist from classmate Ashlee Pechulis (Westfield, Mass.) at 4:50. However, Sharkin would tag on her fourth goal of the half as Wellesley went in to the half with a 6-1 advantage.

It was tale of two halves for Lasell, as the visitors outscored the Blue 6-4 following the break. Senior Toni Minelli (Newington, Conn.) found the back of the net for her team-leading sixth goal of the season, pulling the Lasers to within four, at 6-2, at 28:30. Canty responded, establishing a trend for the Blue, as each of Lasell's three goals to open the second half were followed by a Blue response. 

Lasell senior Bri Daley (Watertown, Conn.) scored at 17:36 before Blue first year Jenny Gubner (Pleasanton, Calif.) responded a minute later with the Blue down a player following a yellow card. Taylor Yandow (Moretown, Vt.) then scored on an assist from Minelli at 15:02, before Sharkin scored her final goal of the game at 13:12 to make the score 9-4. 

Lasell was finally able to string together back-to-back goals at 11:29 and 8:45 of the second when Brecher scored both of her goals on assists from Minelli and Pechulis to pull Lasell to within three, at 9-6, for the first time since the opening half. Both teams would then add free position goals, with Canty completing her hat-trick on a free position shot at 6:59, as the Blue held on to take the 10-7 victory. 

Wellesley will return to action next week when the Blue travel to play Regis on Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 PM. Lasell will open conference play in their next contest, as they travel to take on Rivier at 3:30 PM on Saturday.