CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University senior Alexis Giusti (Meridian, Calif.) scored her first goal of the season in the 74th minute of play to propel the Lynx to a 1-0 win over Eastern Nazarene College on a hot, humid night tonight at Edward Field. The win keeps the Lynx unbeaten to start the season at 2-0-0 while the Lions remain searching for their first victory of the 2014 campaign as they fall to 0-3-0.
Giusti's goal came off a beautiful feed from freshman Lindsey Bos (Valencia, Calif.) on what was just their second corner kick of the game. Giusti was able to get her head on the ball through traffic and watched it as it sailed into the upper right corner of the net for the game's only score. The assist was the second for Bos on the season, the first also coming off a corner kick in the season opening win over Mount Ida College.
The Lynx held the advantage in possession and held a 7-4 advantage in shots over their guests while also holding a 4-2 edge in corner kicks on the night.
Eastern Nazarene goalkeeper Kristen Farley (Westminster, Mass.) made a pair of stops for the Lions in the loss while Lesley keeper Jackie Berard (Coventry, R.I.) was also credited with two saves to improve to 2-0-0 on the young season.
Much of the play was held in the midfield throughout the opening half, though both teams were able to generate a threat. In the 33rd minute, Lynx senior forward Marysol Flores (Pico Rivera, Calif.) took a lead pass from sophomore Cassidy Hopkins (Porter, Texas) down the right sideline. Flores looked to create a scoring chance as she sent a cross into the box but no one was there to receive the pass and the ball rolled through the back line ending the threat.
Eastern Nazarene answered with a chance of their own with just a minute left before halftime as freshman Kyera Bryant (Guilford, Conn.) sent a cross into the Lesley defensive half, but a streaking Berard chased the ball down for a clear to keep the match scoreless at the break.
The Lions had the first chance of the second half as sophomore Hannah Scahill (Quaker Hill, Conn.) drilled a right-footed shot from 25-yards out on the left side, but Berard was there to corral the ball for her first save of the evening.
Giusti nearly put the Lynx on the board in the 64th minute as she settled a bouncing ball at the top of the 18-yard box before launching a shot towards the Lion's net, but Farley was there for the stop to keep the match knotted at 0-0.
Lesley, who outshot Eastern Nazarene by a 5-3 margin in the second half, finally broke through to snap the scoreless tie in the 74th minute with Giusti's header.
The Lynx will return to action on Saturday, September 6th when they host Suffolk University in the final match of their three-game homestand to open the 2014 season. Kickoff is set for 4:00p. The Lions will also return to the pitch on Saturday as they open their home schedule against Moravian at 12:00p at Veterans Memorial Stadium.