BENNINGTON, Vt. – The Lesley University women's soccer team opened New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action with a 4-0 victory over Southern Vermont College at Everett Field, Saturday afternoon. Lesley improves to 4-1-2 and 1-0 in NECC action while Southern Vermont falls to 3-3-1 and 0-1 in conference play.
Lesley found the back of the net three times in a 10-minute span midway through the first half, and the Lynx then padded their cushion with another tally in the final 45 minutes.
The Mountaineers are back in action on Wednesday with a 2 p.m. non-conference match at Clark University while Lesley next hosts Emerson College on Tuesday for the Fifth Annual Charles River Cup-- that kickoff slated for 8 p.m.
All three first-half goals for the visitors came from junior Karlie Rubin (San Diego, Calif.) before Lesley sophomore reserve Jordan Mitchell (Sachse, Texas) notched her second of the year to extend the separation in the second half. Mitchell also had an assist on the day.
The Lynx shutout was shared by junior Lilly Donovan (Newburyport, Mass.) and freshman Brittley Gaan (Bellevue, Wash.) who both played a full period in the win; Donovan collected the victory (3-1-2) as she made one save with the start, and Gaan added a save of her own as she finished off the clean sheet.
Southern Vermont junior keeper Melissa Mascari (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) turned away six Lynx shots in the loss (3-3-1).
Lesley set the pace of the game from the start, controlling the ball in the Mountaineers' end of the field for a majority of the first half. The Lynx let it fly when they had the look, attempting eight shots in the opening 20 minutes before getting on the board. Rubin finally notched the first score of the day in the 23rd minute, her second of the season coming on a great one-timer from just outside of the box. From the top of the penalty area, Mitchell played a backwards pass on the ground where Rubin was able to run onto it and fire a well-placed ball into the upper-left corner of the net for the 1-0 advantage.
Just under six minutes later, Rubin struck again to give the Lynx some insurance. A pass from the right corner entered the box, and neither Lesley nor the Mountaineers could corral it right away. Rubin got to a bouncing ball off the head of a Lesley player just six yards out, and she gave it a flick to the far post to beat the SVC netminder.
The Lesley junior completed the hat-trick with 13:28 left to go in the half for the 3-0 tally. A pass came in from the left side and was knocked around by both Rubin and a Mountaineer defender in the middle of the box; the final carom found the foot of the Lynx midfielder, and she turned before hitting a solid left-footed shot into the lower-left corner of the cage.
Late in the period, Southern Vermont started to get things going at the other end of the pitch and had a pair of chances to end the shutout. SVC junior Paige Vitale (Port Jervis, N.Y.) ran onto an open through ball into the top of the box, but her shot sailed just over the frame. A minute later, the Mountaineers were awarded a free kick 10 yards into the Lesley zone and nearly made it hurt. The set piece flew into the penalty area where SVC sophomore Molly Madore (Higganum, Conn.) met it on the run; she quickly took a one-timer with her left, only to be immediately turned away by an encroaching Donovan who anticipated the play nicely.
After LU came out of the intermission still ahead 3-0, 30 minutes of scoreless soccer ensued as Lesley worked the clock. Then, from the left edge of the field and about 40 yards out, freshman reserve Katelyn Scott (Glendora, Calif.) played a pass to the right side, through the SVC backline and into open space. Mitchell was uncontested in meeting it 12 yards away and used her first touch to slip the ball past the Southern Vermont goaltender for her second score of the season.
Neither team had anything dangerous throughout the remainder of the match as Lesley walked out with its 53rd straight NECC regular-season victory.
- Release Courtesy of Southern Vermont College Sports Information