TULEJA BREAKS PROGRAM RECORD, SAINTS ROLL INTO GNAC SEMIS
BOSTON, Mass. - Senior attack Kristen Tuleja set a new Emmanuel single-game record with an 11-point night to lead the Emmanuel College women's lacrosse team to a 17-5 victory over Mount Ida in Tuesday night's Great Northeast Athletic Conference Quarterfinal at Clemente Field. The Saints advance to Thursday's semifinal contest at Johnson & Wales with a GNAC Championship berth on the line.
BOSTON, Mass. - Senior attack Kristen Tuleja (Mansfield, Mass.) set a new Emmanuel single-game record with an 11-point night to lead the Emmanuel College women's lacrosse team to a 17-5 victory over Mount Ida in Tuesday night's Great Northeast Athletic Conference Quarterfinal at Clemente Field. The Saints advance to Thursday's semifinal contest at Johnson & Wales with a GNAC Championship berth on the line.
Tuleja scored six goals and tied a single-game record with five assists to run her season totals to 64 goals, 20 assists, and 84 points.
The Saints opened the game with the first six goals, as Tuleja and junior Savannah Lundwall (Fiskdale, Mass.) each tallied a pair in the first six minutes. Tuleja also assisted on a goal by junior Emily Baker (Stratham, N.H.), and junior Amanda Cook (Saco, Me.) found the net off a helper from classmate Abaigeal Merrigan (Rye, N.H.).
For the rest of the half, Emmanuel answered each Mount Ida goals with a pair of markers to take a 12-3 lead into the break.
Freshman Alyssa Kelly (Lee, Mass.) scored twice in the half for the Mustangs and assisted on the other, a man-down strike by sophomore Hayley Napier (Fairhaven, Mass.).
In the same stretch, Tuleja picked up another goal, along with three assists, Baker scored twice, Lundwall added another, and sophomore Avery Yang (Lincoln, R.I.) scored her fourth of the year with an assist from classmate Stephanie Warn (Hanson, Mass.).
The second half featured a lot of Emmanuel possession time, but much less offensive aggression than the first, as the teams combined for just seven goals in 30 minutes.
Napier and Kelly both earned free position goals for the visitors, and the Saints goals went to Tuleja (2), Lundwall, Baker, and Merrigan.
Baker and Lundwall finished with four goals each for the third-seeded Saints, while Warn dished out three assists in the win. Senior goalkeeper Lauren White (Lynnfield, Mass.) needed just three saves to earn her 11th victory of the season.
Kelly (3G, 1A) and Napier (2G) were the only Mustangs to find their way onto the scoresheet in the loss. Freshman Jackie Tarsook (Derry, N.H.) played valiantly, making 11 saves, but saw her record drop to 4-13.