CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Lesley University women's soccer team defeated Becker College 3-0 to advance to the New England Collegiate Conference title match. The Lynx will face the winner of the other semifinal match played between Daniel Webster and Elms College later this evening. Becker ends their 2008 campaign with a 7-10-1 (5-2-1 NECC) record after reaching the conference semifinals.
Lesley's junior defender Cathryn Folkestad (Ipswich, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal in the 23rd minute as she hit a firm header past Hawks keeper Shannon Tibbetts (Warren, Mass.) off a lead corner kick pass from teammate Alyson Durben (Stow, Mass.).
A minute earlier on a similar corner kick cross, Tibbetts made a nifty one-handed save over the crossbar after Folkestad attempted to head it in.
Becker had an opportunity to tie up the match with 12 minutes remaining in the half after Alexandra Fernandes' (Tucson, Ariz.) shot deflected off Lynx goalie Hailee Lowe's (Hamilton, Mass.) fingertips and almost crossed into the net, but Lowe was able to scoop the ball up for the save.
Fralick scored her first goal of the game at 36:38 on a second chance opportunity when the ball rebounded off the keeper for a point blank shot. Durben earned her second assist of the game on the goal.
Fralick finished off the scoring for Lesley in the second half, unassisted, when her hard hit shot ricocheted off the keeper's gloves and into the net.
The Hawks keeper finished in double-digit saves with 13 and Lowe stopped three shots on goal in the victory.
To learn more about the Lesley University women's soccer team, please visit their website.
Contact:
Rob Palardy
Sports Information Director
Lesley University
617.349.8627 (office)
617.349.8640 (fax)
rpalardy@lesley.edu