CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Newbury College junior Rodriguez Pierre (Somerville, Mass.) broke a 1-1 tie in the 62nd minute in what proved to be the game-winner as the Nighthawks won on the road over the host Lynx tonight in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) at Edwards Field at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols. The win keeps the Nighthawks a perfect 3-0-0 in conference play and brings them to 5-8-0 on the year while the Lynx drop to 1-1-1 in the NECC and 6-4-2 overall.
Pierre kept possession of the ball after Lesley goalkeeper Nathan Trucks (Guilford, Conn.) attempted to slide and intercept his dribble before the junior buried a shot from a narrow angle from the left side of the box to put the visitors up 2-1.
The Nighthawks opened up the scoring in the first half when Bryan Barrios (Central Falls, R.I.) snuck a ball past Trucks and into the lower corner of the far post in the ninth minute to give Newbury an early 1-0 lead. The goal was his fourth of the season.
Lesley nearly tied it up just minutes later when freshman Skylar Ripley (Yuba City, Calif.) connected for a header off a cross from sophomore Spencer Irwin (Somers, N.Y.), but the ball skipped just over the crossbar. The Lynx had a nearly identical chance three minutes later, but Jordan Santos' (Middlebury, Conn.) header attempt also sailed over the bar.
Lesley finally knotted things up at 1-1 in the 37th minute when sophomore forward Ryan Richardson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) buried a penalty kick into the lower left corner following a Newbury hand ball in the box.
The Lynx had the first scoring opportunity in the second half when sophomore Marcel Howard (Newport News, Va.) sent a cross from 35-yards out to the far post, but freshman Erik Johansen's (West Harrison, N.Y.) header went just wide.
Newbury answered in the 58th minute with a scoring opportunity of their own when junior forward Milton Ricaurte (Central Falls, R.I.) sent a blast from 12 yards out following a Nighthawks throw-in, but his attempt was swallowed up by a diving save by Trucks, keeping the score at 1-1 before Pierre's goal put Newbury up for good in the 62nd minute.
Lesley outshot Newbury 16-6 on the night while the Nighthawks held a 4-1 advantage on corner kicks.
Newbury keeper Cody Nash-Gibney (South Burlington, Vt.) made two saves in his third victory of the season while Trucks made one stop for the Lynx.
The win over Lesley was Newbury's first since they blanked the Lynx 1-0 in the 2010 regular season finale.
Lesley returns to the pitch tomorrow when they travel to Fitchburg State for a non-conference tilt at 7:00p while Newbury will travel to Elms College on Saturday at 3:30p in NECC action.