CAMBRIDGE, MA – Lesley University (3-0-0) earned its third 2-0 victory in three matches, besting visiting Eastern Nazarene (0-4-0) in non-conference women's soccer play Thursday night at Edward Field.

            After a quiet opening period without a shot through the first 16 minutes, the teams traded opportunities for another 20 minutes, after which Paul Vasconcelos' late first half adjustment paid dividends with the match's first goal.

            The Lynx head coach bumped Veronica Halen (San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic) and Alexis Giusti (Meridian, CA/Yuba City) up to forward, which soon proved to be a wise adjustment. At 36:11, Halen spotting Giusti in the left side of the box, where the sophomore sent her team-leading second goal into the center net past a diving Rachel Henry for the game's first goal.

            Lesley outshot the Lions 5-2 for the first period, and the teams managed only a shot each through the first 25 minutes of the second. Business picked up in the final 20, specifically when a Giusti shot was blocked in the penalty box on an Erin Daley handball. The yellow card sent Halen to the line, where the 2011 New England Collegiate Conference Player of the Year cashed in on her first goal of the season.

            Lynx goalkeeper Emileigh Lloyd (Middletown, PA/Middletown) made only two saves in earning her second shutout, but the sophomore squashed multiple Lions scoring opportunities with diving captures of would-be shots on Eastern breakaways.

            For the Lions, Henry (Lowell,  MA/Lowell) made three saves in the loss.

            Lesley returns to action Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against Mass Maritime and hosts the University of Maine-Farmington Sunday at 1:00.