STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (1-1, 1-0 GNAC) netted four unanswered goals in the second half to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit and defeat Lasell University (1-2, 0-1 GNAC), 4-1, in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener for both teams at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
MILESTONE MET:
With her second tally of the day in the 47th minute, senior Maya Waryas (Bellows Falls, Vt.) became just the fifth player in Saint Joseph's College field hockey history to reach the 100-point milestone for her career.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Despite generating several quality scoring chances in the opening half, the Monks faced a 1-0 deficit going into intermission after Lasell sophomore midfielder Adrianna Morse (Gorham, Maine) slammed home a loose ball in the crease with 1:04 remaining in the second quarter.
Halftime adjustments proved to be pivotal, as the Monks dominated the final two quarters. Waryas, who had been denied on multiple close calls earlier in the contest, finally hit pay dirt just 46 seconds into the third to knot the game at 1-1. Freshman Ava Markham (Belfast, Maine) scored what proved to be the game-winner just 1:52 in the penultimate period, with Waryas earning credit for the assist on the freshman's first NCAA goal.
Waryas tacked on an insurance goal in the 47th minute when she pickpocketed the Lasell keeper near the endline and drilled a shot into a wide open cage. In the 57th minute, sophomore Gabriella Thomas (Lewiston, Maine) scored her first collegiate goal on a penalty corner with Waryas once again setting up the play for her second assist of the afternoon.
TEAM STATS:
Saint Joseph's held the lead in shots (15-11) and shots on goal (11-8) and both teams registered nine penalty corners in the conference contest.
THE KEEPERS:
St. Joe's junior goalie Kimberley McLaughlin (Lewiston, Maine) made six saves in the victory while Lasell netminder McKenna Ecker (Liverpool, N.Y.) made seven stops in a losing effort.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The result lifts Saint Joseph's to 24-9 in the all-time series with Lasell and halts a five-game losing streak to the Lasers, marking the Monks' first triumph in the matchup since October 30, 2021.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host Babson College, which is ranked seventh in the most recent Penn Monto/NFHCA national poll, on Wednesday in a non-conference tilt slated to start at 5:00 PM.
