CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following their 2-0 win over Southern Vermont College last night in the Semifinal Round, the top-seeded Lynx will look to capture their third consecutive New England Collegiate Conference Championship tomorrow when they host second-seeded Elms College in what will be a rematch of the 2013 NECC Finals.
Lesley received first half goals from seniors Hannah Landerholm (Edmonds, Wash.) and Marysol Flores (Pico Rivera, Calif.) to down the Mountaineers to advance to their seventh straight NECC title match.
NECC WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 2 Elms College (11-8-1, 8-1-0 NECC) at No. 1 Lesley University (17-3-0, 9-0-0 NECC)
Saturday, November 8th – 2:00p
Edward Field – Cambridge, Mass.
Scouting Elms
The Blazers punched their ticket to their second consecutive NECC Championship when they topped No. 3 Regis College 2-1 on Thursday evening. Freshman Angelina Estrada (Springfield, Mass.) converted a strike in the 66th minute of action to give the hosts a lead they would not relinquish. Goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo (Bellmore, N.Y.) made a pair of stops in the win. Elms is on a hot streak as they have gone 9-0-1 in their last ten matches while allowing just two goals over that span.
Sophomore Kylen O'Hearn (Somers, Conn.) powers the Elms offense with a team-best 10 goals and 24 points. Fellow sophomore Rachel Connell (Easthampton, Mass.) and freshman Jackie Soucia (Belchertown, Mass.) have each chipped in with four goals apiece. Rinaudo has been solid in goal all season long as she has generated a 10-8-1 record with 10 shutouts.
Scouting Lesley
The Lynx have been rolling of late as they have won ten straight matches while outscoring their opponents by a 51-1 margin during the streak. The powerful Lesley offense is a balanced attack as nine players have registered double-digit points. Senior Alexis Giusti (Yuba City, Calif.) leads the team and the NECC in goals, assists, and points. Landerholm has anchored a backline that has allowed just one goal and seven shots in their last four matches. Junior goalkeeper Jackie Berard (Coventry, R.I.) has been excellent in between the pipes for the Lynx as she is 13-2-0 on the year with a 0.28 GAA and six shutouts.
Previous Matchups
In 2013's NECC Championship thriller, Giusti connected 3:25 into the second overtime period to give the Lynx a 1-0 overtime victory over the Blazers. Giusti sent a looping shot from 25 yards out that found the top-right corner of the goal, giving the top-seeded Lynx their second consecutive NECC title. The Lynx outshot the Blazers by a 21-6 margin, but were only able to put five shots on the frame. Rinaudo made four saves in the loss while Berard made three stops on the win for the hosts. Lesley's Hayley Wirth (Escondido, Calif.) was named 2013 NECC Tournament MVP.
This is the fourth time the two teams have met in the NECC title match. The Blazers took home their first title on penalty kicks in 2008 while also topping the Lynx in 2011 for their second NECC title in program history.
In their only matchup in 2014, the Lynx scored three second half goals as they rolled to a 3-0 win in Chicopee, Mass. on October 4th. Giusti provided a goal and was credited with assists on markers from junior Isabella Vidana (San Marcos, Calif.) and freshman Karlie Rubin (San Diego, Calif.).
What's At Stake
The winner of the match will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Lynx are vying for their third straight trip to NCAA's while the Blazers are in search of their first berth since 2001. The NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Monday at 1:00p on the Live Selection Show.