CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After capturing their third consecutive New England Collegiate Conference title with a 3-0 win over Elms College last Saturday, the Lesley University women's soccer team earned their third straight trip to the NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. The Lynx will travel to Montclair, N.J. for a battle with the No. 8 Montclair State Redhawks, who will be hosting two First Round matches on the opening weekend of the Championship.
Swarthmore College and No. 17 Connecticut College will square off in the second match of the afternoon which is slated for a 7:00p kickoff.
NCAA DIII WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND
Lesley University (18-3-0) at Montclair State University (16-1-2)
Saturday, November 15th – 5:00p
Montclair State University Soccer Park
Swarthmore College (13-6-1) vs. No. 17 Connecticut College (15-2-1)
Saturday, November 15th – 7:00p
Montclair State University Soccer Park
Winners to play in Second Round at the MSU Soccer Park on Sunday, November 16th at 7:00p
Related Links:
Montclair State Tournament Site Webpage
NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Tournament Program
NCAA Division III Tournament Bracket
NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Page
Connecticut College Women's Soccer Page
Swarthmore College Women's Soccer Page
SCOUTING LESLEY
The Lynx used three second half tallies to propel them to their fourth NECC title in program history. The goals all came within four minutes of each other as Lesley upended Elms College for the second straight season in the NECC Finals. Lesley graduate student Veronica Halen (San Diego, Calif.) started the scoring with her fifth of the season before senior Jasmine Sanchez (Chino, Calif.) and Samantha Rapant (Pittsfield, Mass.) followed with a pair of insurance goals.
Nine different players registered five or more goals for the Lynx, who outscored their opponents by a 77-7 margin in 21 matches. The explosive attack is led by senior Alexis Giusti (Yuba City, Calif.) who deposited a team-high 13 goals to go with her 10 assists on the year. Junior Isabella Vidana (San Marcos, Calif.) added eight goals and an assist.
Two-time NECC Player of the Year Hannah Landerholm (Edmonds, Wash.), who finished with seven goals and three assists, anchors a strong defensive unit that saw three starters earn NECC First Team Honors. Sophomore Lindsey Bos (Valencia, Calif.) earned the NECC Tournament MVP award as she helped the Lynx record back-to-back shutouts while dishing out assists on all five Lesley goals.
Junior Jackie Berard (Coventry, R.I.) has turned in a spectacular junior season as she has posted a 14-2-0 while compiling a microscopic 0.26 GAA and seven shutouts.
SCOUTING MONTCLAIR STATE
The Redhawks punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship as they earned the automatic bid from the New Jersey Athletic Conference, defeating The College of New Jersey in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie. The NJAC title was the third consecutive for the Redhawks, who are making their fifth NCAA appearance in program history.
Senior Kaila Fasano (Westwood, N.J.) leads a powerful Redhawk offense as she tallied a team-leading 13 goals to go with four assists. Sophomore Jennie Hornsta (Clifton, N.J.) followed Fasano with eight goals while junior Martina Landeka (Westfield, N.J.) and senior Francesca Gibson (Cape May, N.J.) each chipped in with seveon on the season.
Senior Melissa Koster (Yardville, N.J.) was named NJAC Midfielder of the Year as she finished with two goals and three assists on the year. Classmates Jessica Bonjione (Bridgewater, N.J.) and Taylor Rudd (Ocean Township, N.J.) anchor a Redhawk backline that allowed just five goals on the year.
Gina Policastro (East Brunswick, N.J.) started all 20 games in between the pipes for Montclair State, posting a 17-1-2 record to go with her miniscule 0.25 GAA and 14 shutouts. The senior came up big for the Redhawks in the NJAC Finals, stopping eight shots in full time before turning away three penalty kicks to secure the win.
SCOUTING SWARTHMORE
The Garnet captured their first-ever Centennial Conference Championship and earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after prevailing 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout over No. 22 Johns Hopkins University following a 2-2 tie in full time. Junior goalkeeper Reba Magier (Saugus, Calif.) earned CC Tournament MVP Honors as she thwarted away five shots before adding three more in penalty kicks.
Senior Emma Sindelar (Salt Lake City, Utah), and sophomores Hannah Lichtenstein (Venice, Calif.) and Mele Johnson (San Diego, Calif.) each potted nine goals on the season to lead the Garnet offense. Freshman forward Katie Dougherty (La Grange, Ill.) connected for six goals to go with three assists in her rookie campaign.
Magier has held most of the responsibility in goal for the Garnet, going 10-4-1 with a 0.69 GAA and six shots.
SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
The Camels secured their first-ever New England Small College Athletic Conference title in any sport as they defeated No. 6 Williams College 4-3 in penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 tie. The No. 17 Camels have experience one of their most prolific seasons in program history as they have navigated to a 15-2-1 record. Sophomore keeper Bryanna Montalvo (Rocky Hill, Conn.) recorded 12 saves in full time before giving way to junior defender Amanda Onofrio (Greenwich, Conn.), who stepped in between the pipes for penalties and parried away three Williams penalties to secure the automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
The Camels, who outscored their opponents by a 44-10 margin on the year, are led by freshman phenom Michelle Medina (Hartford, Conn.) who finished with eight goals and six assists for 22 points. Fellow freshman Alexa Tribelli (Cranston, R.I.) and senior Astrid Kempainen (Chazy, N.Y.) each finished with five markers while Annie Higgins (West Hartford, Conn.) deposited four on the year. Kempainen added a team-high nine assists to finish with 19 points in her senior season.
Montalvo has been solid in net for the Camels, going 15-1-1 on the year with a 0.55 GAA and 11 shutouts.
Connecticut enters the tournament at 5-0-1 in their last six matches