STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (8-4-4, 4-4-4 GNAC) and Lasell College (11-4-1, 9-2-1 GNAC) dueled to a 1-1 stalemate in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer contest at Westerlea Way Field on Thursday afternoon.

Prior to kick-off, the Monks' five seniors – Sally Leger (Westminster, Mass.), Casey Monaghan (Portland, Maine), Katherine Chambers (Hampden, Maine), Jennifer Keaney (Scituate, Mass.) and Laura DiMillo (Portland, Maine) – were honored with a brief Senior Day ceremony in recognition of their achievements over the past four seasons.

Lasers sophomore Kayla Lynch (Dover, N.H.) put the visitors on the board early when she scored from close proximity off an Arianna DiOrio (Revere, Mass.) pass at the 11:41 mark. The 1-0 advantage remained until Chambers knocked in a cross pass from freshman teammate Hannah Leblanc (Andover, Mass.) with 24:23 remaining in regulation.

Saint Joseph's appeared to have taken the lead just seven minutes later when junior Emily Cocciardi (Middleton, Mass.) steered a header on target off a well-placed corner kick from Whitney White (Salem, N.H.). Lasell keeper Ashley Parrelli (Marshfield, Mass.) made the save but players in the area argued, to no avail, that she was behind the line. The officials did not agree so play resumed.

Lasell nearly ended the contest 7:18 into the first overtime frame when Jill Greaney (Holyoke, Mass.) sent a high booming kick towards the goal from 30 yards out, but the bid clanged of the crossbar.

The Lasers' lone goal seemed to be the result of a defensive lapse by the Monks, as Lynch found her way inside the box unchecked and finished with a relatively easy goal. Leblanc set up the SJC goal with tremendous hustle down the left side of the field. Her cross attempt from near the end-line was almost blocked by Parrelli, but the ball leaked through to Chambers, who toed the sphere into a wide-open net.

Lasell held advantages in shots (14-7) and corner kicks (5-2) while Saint Joseph's was flagged for 12 fouls as opposed to seven infractions handed down to the Lasers.

For the Monks, Jaci Lorenzen (Windham, Maine) made five saves, while Parrelli registered four stops on the afternoon.

With the result, Saint Joseph's is now 5-2-2 in the history of the series with Lasell College. In 2011, the Monks defeated the Lasers, 1-0, during the regular season but in the last meeting between the sides, Lasell bested the Royal Blue by a 5-1 tally in a 2011 GNAC Tournament quarterfinal tilt. The Lasers went on to capture the GNAC Championship last fall.

With the regular season in the books, the Monks and Lasers turn their attention to the GNAC Tournament, which begins with a quarterfinal round this weekend. #8 Saint Joseph's travels to #1 University of Saint Joseph (CT), while #2 Lasell hosts #7 Suffolk University – in a rematch of the 2011 GNAC title bout – with both matches taking place on Sunday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.