2011 Women's Soccer Preview
It was a banner season for the Lasell College women’s soccer team who became the first women’s program at Lasell to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Scoring a program best record of 14-4-3, including an 8-2-2 slate in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Lasers went undefeated through the GNAC Tournament to become the conference champions of 2010.
It was a banner season for the Lasell College women's soccer team who became the first women's program at Lasell to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Scoring a program best record of 14-4-3, including an 8-2-2 slate in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Lasers went undefeated through the GNAC Tournament to become the conference champions of 2010.
Heading into the conference tournament in 2nd place overall, Lasell rolled through the playoffs without allowing a single goal to secure victories over Emerson, Saint Joseph College Connecticut, and Norwich to earn the title of 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Champions. As the representative from the GNAC, the women became the first Lasell College women's program to participate the NCAA Division III Tournament. At the "Big Dance", Lasell faced the Williams College Ephs, who concluded their season ranked 9th in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Top-25 rankings and with a record of 15-4-2. The Lasers stuck with the Ephs in the first half to go into halftime at a 0-0 stalemate before ultimately succumbing to a 3-0 defeat in the first round of the tournament.
Lasell's returning senior goalkeeper Elizabeth Stickley (Mashpee, MA) was a major key to the Lasers success over the past three seasons. Last year, the goalie logged 1,184 minutes in net for the Lasers over the course of the season recording a record of 9-4-1. She ended the season with six shutouts while producing a .855 save percentage and a 0.91 GAA. Stickley ranks in the top-three out of four categories in the GNAC finishing 1st in goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts per game, and third in total shutouts. Stickley also ranked amongst the best goalkeepers in all of D-III women's soccer, being ranked 56th in the country in save percentage and 92nd in goals against average. To conclude her impressive junior season, Stickley was named First Team All-GNAC and GNAC Tournament co-MVP as well as received an honorable mention by the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association for All-New England.
In her rookie season, forward Jamie Harris (Lynnfield, MA) put on an incredible show for Lasell becoming a GNAC Second Team All-Conference honoree and GNAC All-Tournament co-MVP while leading the team in goals (20), points (41), and game-winning goals (4). She ranked in the top-five of seven statistical categories in the GNAC, including shots (2nd), shots per game (2nd), points (5th), points per game (4th), goals (3rd), goals per game (2nd), and game-winning goals (2nd). Harris was also ranked nationally in four statistical categories at 25th in the nation in total goals (20), 24th in goals per game (1.053), 46th in total points (41), and 43rd in points per game (2.16). In addition to all of the amazing statistics put up by the freshman, Harris was able to notch an unbelievable four hat-ticks throughout the course of the season. Harris will continue to be a stand out player in the 2011 season as a sophomore.
In total, six players received GNAC All-Conference nods. In addition to Stickley and Harris, Jordynn Frollo (Uxbridge, MA) was named First Team All-Conference honoree, Molly Clarke (Berlin, CT) was named second team, and Allyson Bushey (Westminster, MA) and Meredith Hessler (Middleton, RI) were named third team. Frollo, Clark, and Hessler will all be returning for their final year in the Blue & White in 2011.
Newcomers Ashley Jenne (Derby, VT), Kayla Lynch (Dover, NH), and Bridget Lynch (Dover, NH) all join the squad with all-state honors out of high school. In total, eight new players will join the championship program for the 2011 season.
Lasell's season will kick off on Saturday, September 3rd at the Springfield Tournament, facing off against the hosting Pride, at 7:25 p.m. On Saturday, September 10th, the Lasers will host their home opener against Emerson College, at 12:00 noon, where the Lasers will look to defend their 12 game winning streak at home, on Taylor Field.
