2009 NECC Women's Soccer Championship Preview
Setting the Scene
Third-seeded Mitchell College (8-10-0 overall) will travel to
top-seeded Lesley University (14-4-1 overall) on Saturday for the
finals of the 2009 NECC Championship. The Mariners will be making
their first NECC title game appearance while the Lynx are making
their second appearance in as many years. The game will be held at
Buckingham Browne & Nichols (80 Gerry's Landing Road) in
Cambridge, Mass. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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here for directions
The Road to the Championship
Mitchell advanced to the title game with a 5-3 win over
sixth-seeded Daniel Webster College on Tuesday and a 3-2
victory over second-seeded Elms College on Thursday. Lesley, which
earned a bye for the quarterfinals, earned its berth with a 3-0 win
over Becker College on Thursday night.
Scouting the Mariners
Mitchell enters the championship game having won seven of its last
10 games. The Mariners, who rank fourth in the conference in
scoring and average two goals per game, have scored eight goals in
postseason play thus far. Sophomore Nikki Hoxie leads the team and
ranks second in the NECC in scoring with 14 goals and eight assists
for 36 points while junior Paige Ehnot has contributed nine goals
and seven assists for 25 points. Sophomore Leslie Briggs has three
postseason goals and eight on the season. Goalkeepers Rachel
Cunningham (2.93 GAA) and Brittany O'Neil (3.33 GAA) have shared
duties between the pipes for the Mariners this season and have
combined for 138 saves.
Scouting the Lynx
Lesley enters the championship game with a six-game winning streak.
The Lynx went undefeated in conference play and didn't allow a goal
in eight contests, outscoring their opponents by a 33-0 margin.
Lesley led the NECC in scoring for the season, averaging more than
three goals per game while holding opponents to less than a goal
per contest. Jodi Fralick leads both the team and the conference in
scoring with 30 goals and four assists for 64 points. Goalkeepers
Hailee Lowe and Miranda Matson have combined for 13 shutouts and a
goals-against average of 0.67.
Last Meeting
Lesley took the regular season meeting by a 4-0 final on September
29. Four different players scored for the Lynx as they outshot the
Mariners 38-1 in the contest. Brittany O'Neil made eight saves in
goal for Mitchell.