(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.)- Three different players scored as No. 1 seed Lesley University defeated No. 4 seed Becker College 3-0 in the semifinals of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Soccer Championship Tournament on Friday evening at Edward Field in Cambridge, Mass. With the victory the Express advance to the NECC championship game against No. 2 seed Regis College (11-2-3), who defeated No. 3 seed Elms College (8-10-2) 1-0 earlier in the day.
Hannah Landerholm (Edmonds, Wash.), Alexis Giusti (Meridian, Calif.), and Casey Decareau (Haverill, Mass.) each tallied a goal while Sarah Apgar (Andover, N.J.) added an assist to pace the Lynx (15-2-2). Emileigh Lloyd (Middletown, Pa.) finished with five saves to earn the victory in net for Lesley while her counterpart, Kaitlyn Rose (North Attleboro, Mass.), finished with seven saves in the loss.
Both teams battled back and forth during the first half but it would be Becker who broke through first in the 32nd minute. Jodi Theriault (Woodstock, Conn.) headed a ball destined for the back of the net just before Lloyd leaped to tip the ball off the cross bar and over to keep the game scoreless.
The Lynx tallied the first goal of the game minutes later as Giusti scored on a rebound from a direct free kick off the foot of Veronica Halen (San Diego, Calif.) to give the Lynx a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
Lesley extended their lead to two in the 63rd minute as Apgar received the ball off a short corner from Giusti and sent the ball into the box as Landerholm came streaking in and headed a bullet into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.
Decareau put the finishing touches on the victory for the Lynx heading home a rebound off an initial save to give Lesley a commanding 3-0 lead with less than four minutes to play.
The Lynx outshot Becker 23-7 while holding the advantage in corner kicks 9-1
Lesley will take on No. 2 Regis on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Edward Field on the campus of Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols in Cambridge, Mass. The Lynx defeated Regis 1-0 in double-overtime back on October 16 at Edward Field.