Story courtesy of Rob Palardy, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - UMass Boston won their fourth straight match after handing the Lesley University women's soccer team a 2-1 overtime defeat. The Lynx held a 1-0 advantage at halftime, but an early second half goal by UMass Boston set up the overtime victory for the Beacons.
With the loss, Lesley dropped to 4-2-1 on the season while UMass Boston improved to 5-2 (1-0 LEC).
In the 16th minute of the match, Lynx striker Jodi Fralick (WOBURN, Mass./Woburn) applied pressure to the Beacons' backfield which forced a near collision between keeper Michelle Cain (ESSEX, Mass./Manchester Essex Regional) and one of her defenders. Fralick was able to get her foot on the ball which then deflected past Cain into the back of the net for the senior's seventh goal of the season.
Down 1-0 early in the second half, the Beacons tied up the score as junior back Lauren Vargas (ROCHESTER, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) delivered a pass across the middle of the field to Tina Gillen (CARVER, Mass./Carver) who fired a shot right-to-left past Lynx keeper Hailee Lowe (HAMILTON, Mass./Hamilton-Wenham). For Gillen, it was her first goal of the season.
The Lynx nearly took the lead back just minutes later as back-to-back shot attempts by Fralick and Haley Puckhaber (LAKE PLACID, N.Y./Lake Placid) ricocheted off the crossbar of the net.
The match went to overtime and with 1:26 remaining in the first ten minute extra period, Beacons leading goal scorer Kristin Mulry (MASHPEE, Mass./Mashpee) netted her ninth tally of the season off a throw in by Nicki Finamore (WEYMOUTH, Mass./Weymouth) that sneaked through two defenders.
UMass Boston goalie Cain finished with ten saves and one goal allowed Lowe had just one save and two goals allowed.
Lesley plays again on Friday, September 25 at 6:30 pm as the Lynx will host former North Atlantic Conference foe UMaine-Farmington. UMass Boston hosts UMass Dartmouth on Saturday, September 26 starting at 1:00 pm.
To learn more about the Lesley University women's soccer program, please visit their website.