MLX: Lasell claims GNAC regular season crown with win over JWU

NEWTON, Mass. – Seniors Ryan Madden (Hingham, Mass.) and Mike Susi (Gorham, Maine) and freshman Alex Beauchemin (Westfield, Mass.) provided the highlights Tuesday afternoon as the Lasell College men's lacrosse team clinched its third straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) regular season title with a 14-4 victory over Johnson & Wales University at Grellier Field.

The Lasers wrap up the regular season with its 13th straight victory to wind up 14-1 overall and 8-0 in conference play. Lasell is 24-1 against GNAC opponents in the regular season the last three years. Johnson & Wales, which went to the GNAC title game a year ago after upsetting the Lasers in the semifinals, winds up the regular season at 4-13 overall and 3-5 in conference play.

Lasell will have home-field advantage throughout the GNAC play-offs, beginning with a quarterfinal contest at Grellier Field this Saturday, April 27, at 4 p.m. against Albertus Magnus College. JWU will open the play-offs on the road Saturday at Saint Joseph's College (Maine).

Madden tallied a game-high six points on five goals and one assist; Susi tallied two goals and two assists, including his 100th career point; and Beauchemin made eight saves on 12 shots to post his 13th victory (13-1). The Laser netminder lowered his goals against average to 6.24, best in the nation in Division III.

Also contributing to the win for Lasell were freshman James Anderson (Medway, Mass.), who scored three goals; sophomore Andrew Fidalgo (Wilbraham, Mass.), who tallied a goal and three assists with four ground balls; senior David Sheehan (Tewksbury, Mass.), who collected four ground balls and four caused turnovers; and junior Ben Werner (Boxford, Mass.), who won 12-of-16 face-offs and picked up a team-high six ground balls.

JWU got goals from four different players, including a goal and an assist from senior Erik Lindaas (Milford, Pa.). Senior Ben Farrell (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed three ground balls and caused two turnovers, and junior goalie Bradley Morris (Bayport, N.Y.) made 12 saves.

The visitors kept the scoring down in the first quarter, limiting the Lasers to a pair of goals by Fidalgo and Susi. The teams traded two goals each in the second quarter until a goal in the final minute by Madden gave Lasell a 5-2 margin at halftime.

The Lasers blew the game open in the third quarter with all seven goals of the frame, including three by Anderson and two by Madden. Each team scored twice in the final stanza as Lasell secured the win.

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