New London, CT – Lesley University defeated the Mitchell College Mariners, 1-0, in a hard fought overtime game in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) men's soccer semifinals on Thursday. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie through 90 minutes of regulation play, and then the game winner was scored 5:15 into the first overtime period by Lesley's Scott Wheeler (East Hampton, CT). Wheeler found the back of the net with a well-paced header from a sideline throw-in.

The game was a back and forth battle between the two teams on a cold day at Mitchell College. Mitchell had more scoring opportunities than Lesley in the game, as they tallied 30 shots compared to 12 for the Lynx. The Mariners also held the edge in corner kicks by a margin of 12-4. Lesley goalkeeper, Zach Almeida-Beers (Rehoboth, MA), recorded 13 saves in the win.

With the win Lesley, 6-12-1, advances to the NECC Championship game and will face the winner of the semifinal matchup between Daniel Webster College and Becker College which is being played at 6:00pm on Thursday at Becker College. Mitchell closes out the 2008 season with a record of 9-9.