WOMEN'S SOCCER READY FOR REVENGE IN GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP

BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College women's soccer team is prepared to visit Newton, Mass. on Saturday afternoon for the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship game against top-seeded Lasell at 1:00 p.m. The Saints and Lasers will square off in a rematch of last year's title game, which the Lasers won 6-1. 

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Junior captain Maggie Carey's (Swampscott, Mass.) overtime goal at Johnson & Wales on Tuesday night sent the Saints to their second consecutive GNAC championship game. Emmanuel goalkeeper Victoria LaRoche (Hudson, N.H.) turned away two shots in the final 66 seconds of the second period. LaRoche has not allowed a goal in 486 minutes of action and is now 43:33 shy of breaking her own program record of consecutive scoreless minutes in goal which she set earlier this season.

The Lasers advanced to the finals after a 0-0 draw with University of Saint Joseph (CT) was decided in penalty kicks in which Lasell edged the Blue Jays, 6-5 in eight rounds. After a Blue Jays' misfire over the top of the crossbar in the eighth round, senior Sarah Jones (Duxbury, Mass.) assumed the penalty spot and secured the Lasers a spot in the GNAC championship.

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Saturday's contest is the fifth postseason meeting between Lasell and Emmanuel in the history of the two programs. Lasell leads the all-time series, 3-1, ending each of the Saints' last three seasons, outscoring EC, 15-4. Emmanuel's lone win the series came in the quarterfinals in 2008, as the Saints knocked off the Lasers, 3-1.

Lasell is searching for the program's sixth consecutive GNAC title, while the Saints look to recapture the magic of 2003 and 2007 and add a third trophy to the case.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The Lasers edged the Saints, 1-0, in this year's regular season matchup on Sept. 19. Lasell's leading scorer, junior Megan Cullen (Amesbury, Mass.) scored the game's only goal with just 121 seconds remaining in regulation. Following that loss, the Saints went on to post a 9-2-2 record in their next 13 games leading up to Saturday's championship.

Senior captain Katelyn Fink leads the team with 16 points on seven goals and two assists. Maggie Carey is next with 14 points after her goal in the semifinals. Senior Molly Carey (Swampscott, Mass.), freshman Kayla Generis (Wethersfield, Conn.), and freshman Mikayla Guthrie (North Andover, Mass.) have all tallied double-digit points on the season.

On the back end, LaRoche is the anchor as she approaches her second streak of 500+ scoreless minutes this season. Senior captain Ari Cardillo (Richmond, Mass.) leads a back four that has been stellar throughout the season

Lasell is led by Cullen, who averages a goal a game this season, posting 19 goals (38 points) in her junior campaign. The Lasers have seven other players with double-digit point totals, including senior captain Bridget Munnelly (Bellingham, Mass.), who has twelve assists in 20 games.

THE DETAILS

The contest is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start at Taylor Field in Newton, Mass. on the Lasell College campus. The winner of the match will be the 2015 GNAC Champions and will represent the conference in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship tournament. Live stats and video will be available through links at the top of this story.