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.

Click 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.