PORTLAND, ME – Emerson College (7-4, 7-1 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's (10-2-1, 7-1 GNAC), 18-11, in the final conference regular season game for both teams on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Deering Memorial Stadium. Lauren Hagerman '10 (Scarborough, ME) led the Monks' offensive effort with three goals in the loss.

With her first goal of the game 7:51 into the opening half, Hagerman became the first SJC player to accumulate 200 career points. In 37 career games, the senior midfielder has tallied 126 goals, 76 assists and 202 points. She has 50 goals, 28 assists and 78 total points so far this season, with all three numbers ranking as career highs.

With the victory, Emerson, the defending conference champion, forces a three-way tie for the top spot in the final GNAC regular season standings. St. Joe's, Emerson and Norwich all completed the eight-game conference schedule with a 7-1 record and conference tiebreaker rules will determine the seeds for the four-team tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Amy Gervis '12 (Randolph, NJ) scored a game-high seven goals and added two assists and Maeghan Ross '11 (Wrentham, MA) notched six goals and three helpers for the Lions, who held an 8-1 lead after 15 minutes of play.

St. Joe's surged back into the action by scoring six unanswered goals over the next 10 minutes, making it an 8-7 game with 5:52 left in the first stanza. Erika Waterhouse '13 (South Portland, ME) netted a pair of markers during the run and Hagerman scored her second goal of the game to cut the Monks' deficit to one score.

In the final minutes of the opening period, two goals by Gervis sandwiched an Emily Wight '13 (Westbrook, ME) marker, allowing the visitors to carry a two-goal cushion, 10-8, heading into recess.

The Lions opened the second half the same way they began the first – on a scoring run. Christina Riccitelli '12 (West Haven, CT) and Gervis both scored and Ross added a pair, with scores less than a minute apart, to lift the Lions to a 14-8 advantage.

The Monks answered by scoring three of the game's next four goals and trailed 15-11 after Amelia Santos '12 (Beverly, MA) netted a free-position tally with 15:45 left in the contest.

The Lions went on to extend their lead, as Ross scored twice and Gervis added a late goal to secure the 18-11 triumph.

Waterhouse and Wight both tallied two goals for the Monks, while Santos, Alyssa Marchant '11 (Wakefield, MA), Vanessa Brooks '10 (Bath, ME) and Lizzie Farley '11 (Scarborough, ME) all netted one goal in the losing effort. SJC goalkeeper Taylor Allison '12 (Pawtucket, RI) made eight saves between the pipes.

Allyson Woods '12 (Portland, ME/McAuley) and Jaimee Brett '10 (Otisfield, ME) both gathered four draw controls for the Monks, while Allison corralled three groundballs in the loss.

Lions keeper Emily Saeger '13 (Center Valley, PA) registered three stops in net for the visitors.

Emerson held an advantage in shots (34-19), groundballs (17-12) and free-position goals (8-2) in the win. The teams both tallied 15 draw controls and St. Joe's held an 8-3 advantage in saves.

Prior to the start of the game, the team's five seniors – Hagerman, Brooks, Brett, Claire Cook (Sangerville, ME) and Logen Ryley (Leominster, MA) were honored during a ceremony in recognition of their many contributions as members of the young program. All five played for the 2008 squad, which was the first women's lacrosse team in Saint Joseph's College history.

St. Joe's will play at Salve Regina University in a non-conference contest on Monday at 4:00 PM.