Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 A strong back half of the road trip allowed the Nipissing Lakers women's soccer team to come away with a split and continue their strong start to the season.

After a tough 4-2 loss Saturday afternoon against the Queens Gaels, the Lakers bounced back and shutout the RMC Paladins 2-0 Sunday to improve their record to 2-1-1 and place them in third place in the East Division.

On Saturday, a slow start bit the Lakers as they trailed 3-0 just over 30 minutes into the game.

They started the second half well, scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes of the second period.

Tori Bellar found the back of the net to cut the Gaels' lead and Andrea Young continued her torrid start, scoring again, to bring Nipissing within one.

The goal was Bellar's first in the OUA/

Unfortunately, just minutes after Young's goal, the Gaels put the game out of hand.

Mykaela Volpe suffered the loss in goal, making eight saves while Nipissing finished with three shots on goal.

In the second game of the weekend, the Lakers came out quickly and put the game away in the first half.

Madison Logan scored the eventual game-winner, her second of the season, 18-minutes into the game.

Nipissing clinched the win when Lauren de Jong tallied her first career OUA goal 10 minutes later, making the score 2-0 in favour of the Lakers.

From there, Nipissing locked it down and cruised to the victory.

Jess Moran picked up the shutout win.

Looking ahead, Nipissing hosts the Laurentian Voyageurs as the Riley Gallo Cup takes place and the 705 Challenge Cup kicks off.

The Lakers will host the first leg of showdown Friday night at 5pm, with the second leg going Sunday afternoon in Sudbury.