CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University junior Chris Anderson (San Francisco, Calif.) notched what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 13th minute of action as the Lynx registered their first win of 2015 with a 2-0 shutout of Suffolk University tonight at Edward Field. The Lynx improve to 1-4-0 on the season while the Rams drop to 0-4-1 in 2015 with the loss.
Lesley junior Wilton Zuo (Boston, Mass.) set up the tally as he sped past the Rams backline and sent a crossing pass across the top of the box to Anderson's feet before the midfielder took a touch and fired a shot into the lower-left corner of the cage to put the Lynx up 1-0.
The duo nearly hooked up for a second goal six minutes later, this time with Anderson sending a cross into the box for Zuo, but his left-footed attempt went left of the post.
Zuo was busy all night in the Rams zone, but could not find the back of the net. In the 26th minute of play, the speedy forward corralled a pass from sophomore Anthony Vitta (Oceanside, N.Y.) and ripped a left-footed shot from 15 yards out, but Suffolk keeper Nicholas Chamma (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) made a terrific diving stop to keep the game at 1-0.
The Rams best opportunity in the opening half came in the 24th minute of action when sophomore Fernardo Tome (Honduras) one-timed a bouncing ball from the top of the Lesley box, but Lynx keeper Chase Donley (Elizabethtown, Pa.) was in perfect position to snag the laser at the goal line.
The Lynx, who outshot their counterparts 7-2 in the first 45-minutes, nearly added a tally in the first two minutes of play in the second when senior Tyler Zielinski (Belleville, N.J.) took a shot from a step inside the 18-yard box, but Chamma made another terrific diving save to deflect the ball off the nearside post.
Lesley would finally break through with an insurance as junior Harrison Sidell (Newhall, Calif.) settled a flick from classmate Mahmoud Chabarek (Allepo, Syria) and beat the charging Chamma for his first marker of the season.
The Lynx held a 9-5 advantage in shots on the match and a slim 5-4 edge in corner kick opportunities in the win.
Chamma was strong in net despite taking the loss for the Rams as he was credited with five saves while Donley also stopped five shots to earn his first win of 2015 for the Lynx.
Lesley will kick off a four match road swing on Wednesday when they head to Emerson College for the annual Charles River Cup at 6:00p against the Lions. Suffolk will return to action at Regis College on Thursday. That match is set to start at 7:00p.