GAME OVERVIEW: 

• Cambridge, Mass.— The No. 1 seeded Lesley University defeated No. 2 New England College in the NECC Women's Soccer championship match Saturday evening by a score of 3-2.  The Lynx also captured the Championship last season, garnering them the title of back to back champions. 

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• New England College broke the slate mate in the 23^rd minute to take a 1-0 midway through the first half.  Lynx goaltender Brittley Gaan came charging to make a sliding save on a loose ball that Emily LePage barely got a foot on to kick away from Gaan.  LePage beat a Lynx defender to the loose ball for the one time strike past the goal line.
• The lone goal in the half was one of ten combined shots in the half, with the Pilgrims holding the advantage 6-4.
• The Pilgrims backstop Kayla Pugliese had a few diving saves to shut out three very close chances for the Lynx in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half.
• The Lynx netted two goals in a span four minutes to take a 2-1 lead with twenty-five minutes left in regulation.
• Samantha Bessey tied the game from about ten yards out hitting the bottom left corner past the diving Pilgrim keeper.  The Lynx took the lead on a miscue in the Pilgrim back end off a Lynx corner kick which deflected off a defender into the goal.
• Lesley added an insurance goal to make it 3-1.  Rachel Buckley displayed some foot skills to dribble away from the defense and get a shot off from the left wing and out of reach of Pugliese.
• New England College responded in the 76^th minute to cut the deficiet to one.  LePage netted her second goal of the match off a free kick on the edge of the eighteen.  She put the ball top shelf, out of reach of Gaan to make it 3-2 in favor of the Lynx.
• Lesley was able to hold on to the 3-2 lead for the remainder of the match to earn the NECC Women's Soccer Championship.
• Both Gaan and Pugliese recorded 5 saves a piece on the night, while Lesley held the advantage in shots 15-10.

UP NEXT:

New England College ends their season with a 13-8-2 record, while the Lynx improve to 16-4 and remained undefeated against all NECC opponents.  Lesley will await their NCAA tournament pairings.