Lasell Holds Off Johnson and Wales 3-2 in Women’s Soccer Action

Newton, Mass. (10/17/12) – The Lasell College women's soccer team scored three consecutive goals in the second half and held on to defeat Great Northeast Athletic Conference foe Johnson and Wales 3-2 at Lasell's Taylor Field. The win takes Lasell to 11-3 overall and 9-2 in the league, while Johnson and Wales dropped to 5-11 on the season and 4-6 in conference play.

Bridget Lynch (Dover, N.H.) scored a pair of goals for Lasell, and twin sister Kayla Lynch (Dover, N.H.) finished with a goal and an assist to lead Lasell. Senior goalkeeper Ashley Parrelli (Marshfield, Mass.) made four saves to earn her second win of the season.

Kayla Sypek (Westhampton, Mass.) tallied both of the goals for the Wildcats, who got a strong effort in net from freshmen Alexa Rosa (Lancaster, Pa.) who made five saves on the day, including several spectacular ones.

Sypek opened the scoring on the day, when she beat a Lasell defender and knocked a well-struck ball past Parrelli to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the 15^th minute of play. The Sypek goal seemed to wake the hosts up as the Lasers played a strong final 30 minutes of the opening half. Despite holding a 9-2 edge in shots at the break Lasell was unable to get on the board as Rosa helped her side maintain their 1-0 lead.

Lasell opened the second half continuing to keep pressure on the visiting Wildcats, and finally broke through when Bridget Lynch ran onto a long ball from Elizabeth Qua (St. Albans, Vt.) and beat Rose with a quality strike into the side netting in the 55^th minute. Kayla got into the act, scoring an unassisted goal in the 66^th minute after touching the ball beyond a Johnson and Wales defender and neatly tucking home Lasell's second goal. Johnson and Wales threatened often in the second half, using forays down the flanks to create dangerous opportunities in their attacking third. Lasell's Parrelli made a couple of key plays controlling her goal box to keep Lasell on top, 2-1.

Lasell tacked on their third goal of the match when the Lynch sisters combined with Kayla setting up Bridget with a cross that she played into an open net, giving the Lasers a 3-1 lead in the 83^rd minute.

Johnson and Wales would not go away, drawing within a goal at 3-2 in the 87^th minute when Sypek took a feed outside the top of the 18, beat a Lasell defender with a neat touch and drove her second goal of the match past a diving Parrelli.

A Lasell foul 25 yards out in the 90^th minute gave Johnson and Wales one final opportunity to find the equalizer. Senior Samantha Adams (Denver, Colo.) unleashed a beautiful strike that was curling toward the upper 90 on the far post until a leaping Parrelli pulled the shot in to preserve the victory for Lasell.

Johnson and Wales will travel to Northfield, Vt. To take on Norwich University at 3pm on Saturday October 20^th, before wrapping up their regular season on Tuesday October 23^rd when they host St. Joseph's College (Maine). Lasell will head to Standish, Maine to battle St. Joseph's College (Maine) on Saturday October 20^th, before closing their regular season schedule with a pair of non-conference matches again Brandeis University and Rhode Island College.