Women's Soccer Suffers First NECC Loss at Lesley

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University improved to 6-0-0 in New England Collegiate Conference play with a 4-1 win over visiting Mitchell College Tuesday night in women's soccer play at Edward Field.

Veronica Halen scored two goals and Jackee Sanchez added a goal and an assist as the Lynx won their seventh straight. For the second time in two weeks, Lesley floored a previously unbeaten second place NECC team, with the win leaving the Lynx (10-3-0 overall) as the league's only undefeated team. The Mariners dropped to 3-1-2 in league play and 5-4-3 overall.

Halen put the Lynx on the board with her league-leading 15th goal, striking from 25 yards on an indirect kick tapped from Kate Ryder, scoring into the lower right corner at 7:55.

Mitchell answered in the closing seconds of the first half on the team's only shot of the period. On a pass across the box from Nikki Hoxie, reserve midfielder Madeline Crow beat Lynx keeper Emileigh Lloyd, and despite being outshot 13-1 in the half, Mitchell went into the intermission tied 1-1.

Lesley, which outshot the Mariners 10-0 in the opening minutes of the first half, came out equally aggressive in the second. Sanchez tallied her 13th goal of the season, sending home a ball deflected off the left post from right in front of the post in putting the Lynx up 2-1 at 51:48.

Halen upped her league lead to 16 goals at 61:58 on a pass from Sanchez, leading to another long strike from Halen. The Lynx upped the lead to 4-1 at 76:47 on a strike from freshman Alexis Giusti, the recipient of a beautiful one-time pass from Sarah Apgar.

For Mitchell, sophomore Kaylee Woodford stopped five shots in net, hitting the turf for a handful of sprawling saves.

Mitchell will next play at Wheelock College on Saturday, October 22 at noon.