MEN'S SOCCER FALLS TO THIRD-SEEDED LASERS IN GNAC QUARTERFINALS

NEWTON, Mass. – The sixth-seeded Emmanuel College men's soccer team dropped a 5-3 decision to the third-seeded Lasers of Lasell College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field. Lasell improved to 9-8-1 overall with the win and will now advance to the conference semifinals, while the visiting Saints wrap up their season at 5-10-2 with the loss.

Five different players scored for Lasell, led by Nick Rudovic (Yonkers, N.Y.) with a goal and an assist.  Jonathon Hislop (Arlington, Mass.), Manny Alves (Pawtucket, R.I.), Nick Liquori (Westfield, Mass.) and Servi Barrientos (Providence, R.I.) also scored for Lasell and Jonathon Sutton (Orange, Conn.) added two assists for the Lasers. Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) made three saves in net to collect the win.

Cameron Messier (Belchertown, Mass.) and James Carroll (Guilford, Conn.) each tallied a goal and an assist for Emmanuel, and Jordan Mauer (Florence, Mass.) scored as well for the Saints. Garrett Charette (West Springfield, Mass.) stopped three shots in goal while taking the loss for Emmanuel.

The Saints got out to an early lead when Carrol's diagonal ball found Messier and the freshmen struck a low ball past a diving Colmenares just inside the back post to take a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute of play. Emmanuel added its second goal in the 15th minute, when Carroll beat a defender down the left flank and drove a low ball just inside the far post to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Lasell pulled back a goal in the 17th minute, when Jonathon Hislop found a seam at the top of the six yard box and flicked home a corner kick delivered by Nick Rudovic to make it 2-1. Rudovic tied the match at 2-2 in the 36th minute when he took a cross field ball down from Jonathon Sutton and curled a shot into the top left corner of the goal from 35 yards out to knot the score. Lasell went in front in the final minute of the opening half when a Sutton service from the left flank found an unmarked Manny Alves in the box and the senior midfielder headed home to make it a 3-2 scoreline at intermission.

Lasell scored their fourth straight goal in the 49th minute when Newton Jordao (Hyannis, Mass.) flicked a header into the box and Nick Liquori finished it inside the back post to put the hosts on top 4-2. Lasell won a corner in the 63rd minute, which Servi Barrientos bent into the back of the net to give Lasell a three-goal cushion at 5-2.

A service from Emmanuel's Messier was settled by Jordan Mauer at the top right corner of the 18 yard box.  The sophomore forward wasn't closed down quickly enough by the Lasers defense and Mauer's strike went just under the bar in the top left corner of the net to make it 5-3.

However, Lasell held on for the 5-3 victory to advance to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of today's #7 Suffolk and #2 Norwich quarterfinal match.  The GNAC semifinals will be played on Tuesday afternoon.

- Courtesy of Lasell College Sports Information