BOSTON, Mass. - The Lesley University men's soccer team scored two goals in the first five minutes then got two more tallies late in the second half to take the Charles River Cup from Emerson College by a score of 4-2 at Emerson's Rotch Field Wednesday evening.
The Lynx take the cup back to Cambridge for the first time in four attempts.
Lesley scored first in less than three minute in the contest as Ari Sinanis (GUILFORD, Conn./Guilford) placed a header into the right side of the net on a corner kick by Tyler Reeves (COVENTRY, Conn./Coventry). For Sinanis, it was his team-leading fourth goal of the season and Reeves tallied his team-high third assist.
Just over two minutes later, Joe Petit (SALEM, Mass./Salem) continued Lesley's quick start in the match by taking advantage of a dropped save by Emerson keeper Noah Price (APEX, N.C./Enloe Magnet) an drilled in the second goal of the game for the Lynx. It was Petit's second goal of 2009.
With a two-goal deficit, the Lions stepped up their play and team stormed back to tie the game 2-2 going into halftime. In the 20th minute, Casey Shane (NEW YORK, N.Y./The Calhan School) had a breakaway down the center of the field for an unassisted tally.
At 43:53, Emerson netted their second score after Zach Sayward (FRANKLIN, Mass./Franklin) connected fired a corner kick shot that Lynx goalie Zachary Almeida-Beers (REHOBOTH, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) was unable to smother and Kevin Peters (NANUET, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) collected the ricochet and drove the ball into the net.
The second stanza was played evenly throughout with neither team able to take advantage of early scoring opportunities until the 73rd minute of the match. Lynx freshman Jimmy Paulsen (MONROE, Conn./Masuk) drove down the left side of the field and sent a shot past Price into the lower left corner of the net. Just under six minutes later, Yair Correa (PAWTUCKET, R.I./St. Raphael Academy) crushed a free kick from 30 yards out that sailed above the outstretched hands of the keeper and under the crossbar for the match's final goal.
Paulsen's goal was his first career collegiate goal while Correa collected his first of the season and the second of his career.
Almeida-Beers made seven of his 10 saves in the second half and Price had five total saves for the Lions.
Lesley hosts Elms College for their first New England Collegiate Conference match on September 27 starting at 2:30 pm. Emerson hosts GNAC opponent Rivier College at 2:30 pm on Saturday at Rotch Field.
To learn more about the Lesley University men's soccer program, please visit their website.