CAMBRIDGE, MA -- After its third straight undefeated season in New England Collegiate Conference play, the defending regular season champion Lynx have released the team's 2012 schedule, a challenging slate with an early start.

Lesley opens the season at Suffolk University at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 31, the earliest start to the team's season since 2008. The Lynx travel to Newton, MA to take on its second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent in three days against Mount Ida on Sunday, September 2.

Paul Vasconcelos' club makes its home debut with a stretch of three matches in four days starting on Thursday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m. against Eastern Nazarene. The team plays back-to-back contests that weekend, playing host to Mass Maritime on Saturday and the University of Maine-Farmington on Sunday, both 1:00 p.m. starts.

After the three-match homestand, the Lynx embark on a six-game road swing starting Tuesday, September 18 at Endicott College and continnuing that Thursday at Curry College, both of The Commonwealth Coast Conference. On Saturday, September 22, the Lynx open NECC play at Southern Vermont before returning to Cambridge to take on New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Champion and intracity rival MIT at the Engineers Steinbrenner Stadium on Septmeber 25.

After six contests on the road, the team comes home to Edward field for a four-game homestand starting with the Lynx NECC home opener October 6 against Wheelock. A three-match road swing starts in non-conference play on October 18 at Brandeis, which played the Lynx to a scoreless tie last season, and the Lynx return home to send off the team's seniors on Saturday, October 27 against Daniel Webster on Senior Day.

NECC Player of the Year Veronica Halen and the Lynx went 14-4-1 a season ago, advancing to the league title game for a third straight season. For a full schedule, click here. Below is a breakdown of the 2012 schedule:

2012 Schedule Breakdown by Conference Affiliation
New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) - 9
The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) - 3
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) - 2
Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) - 1
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) - 1
North Atlantic Conference (NAC) - 1
University Athletic Association (UAA) - 1