MSOC: Lasell falls to Norwich in regular season finale; Lasers headed to playoffs

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Lasell University men's soccer team had its five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday evening in a 2-0 loss at Norwich University in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) regular season finale on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.

The Lasers drop to 6-14 overall and 5-6 in GNAC games, the most wins overall and in the conference since 2014. Lasell will make its first GNAC playoff appearance since 2015 when the eighth-seeded Lasers travel to top-seeded Johnson & Wales University this Saturday, November 2, for a 1 p.m. contest.

Norwich (13-3-1, 8-2-1 GNAC) tied its most wins in a season since 2014. The Cadets earned the No. 3 seed for the GNAC Tournament and will host No. 6 Colby-Sawyer on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a quarterfinal matchup.

Senior Jackson Burhans (Berlin, N.Y.) made five saves for Lasell before exiting at halftime. Freshman Nick Pappas (Peabody, Mass.) came on to make three saves in an outstanding effort in the second half to keep Norwich's lead at 2-0.

Freshman Matteo Iagrossi (Schenectady, N.Y.) and junior Matt Bento (Brookfield, Conn.) each scored goals, while freshman Robert Wagenesller stopped the lone shot he faced to pick up his fourth shutout of the season in goal.

Iagrossi gave the Cadets a lead they would never look back from in the ninth minute with his second goal of the season of an assist from Amerle Nemeye (Burlington, Vt.). Nemeye made a great run down the left side to beat a pair of Lasell defenders and then he fed a crossing pass to the right post that Iagrossi was able to tuck home for the game-winning goal.

Norwich added to its lead in the 27th minute with Bento scoring his third goal of the season on a crossing pass by Julius Davis (Peabody, Mass.). Davis found Bento with a service from out wide and then Bento did the rest, putting the ball into the back of the net for the goal.

Norwich outshot Lasell 24-1 as the Cadets avenged a 1-1 tie to start the 2018 season down in Newton, Mass.

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