Cullen Hat-Trick Propels Lasell Past SImmons

NEWTON, Mass. - The Lasell College women's soccer shut out Simmons College, 4-0, on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field behind a hat-trick from junior Megan Cullen (Amesbury, Mass.).  The Lasers improved to 3-0 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and 4-3-1 overall, while the Sharks slipped to 2-1 in the GNAC play and 3-6 on the season. 

Megan Cullen notched the third hat-trick of her college career, pushing her scoring account to eight goals in eight appearances on the season for Lasell. Junior Mack Kingman (East Bridgewater, Mass.) added her first goal and her first assist of the season to help key the Lasers victory. Sophomore Sarah LaClair (Belchertown, Mass.) made six saves to record the victory in goal.

Victoria Russo (Braintree, Mass.) recorded a team-high three shots for Simmons while Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) stopped six shots in goal for the Sharks in the loss.

Lasell created the first two quality chances of the match when a strike from freshmen Sabrina Morais (Arlington, Mass.) went just over the cross bar in the fifth minute of play, and Briana Hayes saved a shot off the foot of junior Devon Day (Hartland, Vt.) in the 11^th minute to keep the match scoreless in the early going. In the 15^th minute of action a misplayed clearance by Lasell saw keeper Sarah LaClair caught off her line, but a shot from Simmons sophomore Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) failed to take advantage of the miscue.  

The Lasers opened the scoring in the 36^th minute when senior Bridget Munnelly (Bellingham, Mass.) sprung Cullen in on goal where her shot found the top right corner of the net to put Lasell in front 1-0 heading into halftime.

Simmons created several opportunities in the early part of the second half, forcing LaClair into a trio of saves as the visitors threatened to equalize. A Simmons corner kick in the 73^rd minute started a Lasell counter-attack when freshmen Kaleigh Heffernan (Simsbury, Conn.) cleared the ball sending Cullen on a breakaway which she converted for a 2-0 Lasers lead.

In the 75^th minute Cullen capped off her hat-trick courtesy of a tidy ball from junior Mack Kingman (East Bridgewater, MA) to put Lasell ahead 3-0. Kingman then added the Lasers fourth goal of the game and her first of the season in the 82^nd minute courtesy of a feed from senior Bridget Munnelly producing the final 4-0 result. 

Simmons will host conference foe Mount Ida College on Wednesday September 30^th at 7:00 p.m. Lasell returns to the pitch on Wednesday September 30^th at 4:00pm, when they host the Cadets of Norwich University in a GNAC fixture.