Athletics > Weekly Lyon > September 17, 2007
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Field Hockey (5-2) Continues Strong Start, Wins Pair of Non-Conference Contests
The Wheaton College field hockey team snapped a two-game losing streak with a pair of non-conference road wins last week, downing the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, 3-1 on Thursday before picking up a 2-0 victory at Lasell College on Saturday.
At UMass-Dartmouth, senior Ashley Miller (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) tied a school record with three assists, matching her 49-game career total entering the contest, and classmate Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) scored twice. The Lyons took a 3-0 lead 15:40 into the game, as freshman Jessica Strock (Centerville, MA/Barnstable) scored her first collegiate goal at 6:11 before Dimick converted 59 seconds later. Dimick tallied once more 8:30 after that. Freshman Cameron Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) made nine saves, while senior Kim Anson (Washington, CT/Shepaug Valley) and sophomore Andria Laroche (Skowhegan, ME/Skowhegan Area) each notched a defensive save.
Dimick played a hand in both goals at Lasell, tallying with six seconds remaining in the first half before joining sophomore Alex Block (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) in setting up junior Alisa Ardito's (Branford, CT/Branford) marker with eight minutes left in the game. Abel made one first-half save in picking up the win, while sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) stopped three shots in a shutout second stanza. Sophomore Cassie Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) tallied a defensive save.
Dimick is second in program history in career points (77) and goals (30) and is tied for third in assists (17), while senior Lyndsie Ryalls (Branford, CT/Branford) is third in points (65) and goals (24) and tied for third in helpers (17). Ardito is tied for seventh in points (50) and is fifth in assists (16).
Men's Soccer (4-2-2, 1-0) Wins NEWMAC Opener, Plays .500 Soccer During Week
The Wheaton College men's soccer team, which is tied for sixth in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) New England poll, went 1-1-1 last week, including opening its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) slate on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The Lyons notched a 1-1 double-overtime tie at Western New England College on Thursday but lost its finale to nationally-ranked Williams College, 3-1 on Sunday. Wheaton is tied with Babson College for first place in the NEWMAC.
Against Western New England, which is ranked eighth in the region, freshman Josh Solomon (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) converted the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute off classmate Kyle Sye's (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) helper, but the Golden Bears knotted the game with 5:37 remaining in regulation. Freshman Chris Smart (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) made one save.
Freshman David Ferriero (Medway, MA/Medway) tallied the game-winner with 1:46 left in the second half to push Wheaton past visiting WPI. Senior Dan Chong (Miami, FL/Coral Reef) and freshman Dean Hollands (Scituate, RI/Wheeler School) assisted. The Lyons grabbed an early two-goal lead, as Chong's cross was redirected by a defender into the Engineer net at 4:29 before Chong and senior Trevor Cote (Portsmouth, RI/Providence Country Day School) each had a touch in setting up Solomon's marker at 13:21. Smart finished with five saves for the Lyons, who have won the past two NEWMAC Tournaments and claimed at least a share of the last three regular season crowns.
The Lyons took a 1-0 lead into halftime against Williams, which is ranked ninth nationally and first in New England, before the Ephs rallied with three second-half goals. Solomon scored in the 22nd minute, and Wheaton held the visitors off the board until the 51st minute. The contest remained tied until the 75th minute. Smart turned aside six shots.
Smart Named ECAC Defensive Player of the Week During First Week of Selection
Smart was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 9. It was the first week of ECAC awards for the 2007-08 academic year. Smart earned each of Wheaton's decisions in net while helping the Lyons go 2-0-1 during the prior week. He started all three games while posting a 0.73 GAA and .857 save percentage. Smart's toughest test was against perennial regional power Keene State College, as he made eight saves while guiding the Lyons to a 1-1 double-overtime tie on September 8. Smart blanked Bridgewater State College during the first half of a 7-2 win and recorded three saves during a 2-1 win over Salve Regina University.
Women's Soccer (6-0-1) Goes 3-0, Head Coach Reis Collects 200th Career Victory
The Wheaton College women's soccer team, which is ranked 15th nationally and third in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), won all three of its games last week by shutout and pushed 11th-year head coach Luis Reis beyond the 200-win plateau. The Lyons downed Tufts University, 2-0 on Tuesday before defeating Rhode Island College, 5-0 on Thursday. Wheaton completed its week with a 3-0 triumph against visiting Husson College on Sunday, as the Blue and White extended its shutout streak to 521:35, which has covered more than five games.
At Tufts, which is ranked fifth regionally, a pair of second-half goals helped Reis collect his 200th win at Wheaton. Senior Ashley Furr (Chicopee, MA/Cathedral) had the winner during the 65th minute, with classmate Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) and freshman Amanda Resendes (Swansea, MA/Joseph Case) assisting. In the 76th minute, senior Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth) tallied off first-year Colleen Liffers' (Merrimac, MA/Pentucket Regional) helper. Senior Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) had four first-half saves, while classmate Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) earned the win with three second-half stops.
Freshman Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Loomis Chaffee School) tallied the winner in the 11th minute as one of five different goal scorers at Rhode Island College. Rabesa, junior Bailey Edwards (Austin, TX/Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) and freshmen Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) and Barrie Lindsay (Ipswich, MA/Waring School) also scored, with Lindsay's going as her first college goal. Rabesa added two assists, while sophomore Abby Isaac (Larchmont, NY/Proctor Academy) made four saves for her first collegiate shutout. The Lyons held a 32-8 advantage in shots.
In a rematch of a 2006 NCAA Tournament first-round game, Wheaton downed Husson thanks to advantages of 42-0 in shots and 15-1 in corner kicks. Junior Jessica Bramucci (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham and Monson Academy) netted the game-winner in the 52nd minute before assisting classmate Angelamaria Viscomi's (Newton, MA/Newton North) tally four minutes later. Viscomi later lent a hand when Konopka scored in the 79th minute. Isaac went untested in earning the win.
Reis notched his 200th win in his 238th game at Wheaton, as he became the second-fastest coach in Division III history to reach the milestone, falling just four contests short of the record. At week's end, he had 202 wins in 240 games. Konopka is fifth at Wheaton in career points (111), Rabesa is seventh (88), and Furr is three shy of the top 10 with 60. Konopka stands sixth in goals (41) and Rabesa eighth (29), as each is one short of moving up a spot. Rabesa is tied for sixth in assists (30), Konopka is eighth (29), and Furr has 24, needing one to slide into 10th. Kronenberg is third in career victories (48).
Men's Tennis (0-0) Hosts Wheaton Invitational, Poulin Wins Consolation Final
The Wheaton College men's tennis team hosted the four-team Wheaton Invitational on Sunday, which was highlighted for the Lyons by freshman Greg Poulin (Boxboro, MA/Home Schooled) winning his match during the consolation final, 6-4, 6-1 over a Colby-Sawyer College foe in the second singles flight. Wheaton's second doubles tandem of freshmen Cullen Garrity (Middletown, MD/Saint James School) and Brian Krantz (Milford, CT/Joseph A. Foran) notched an 8-1 win against Colby-Sawyer before falling in the final. In the top flight of doubles pairings, junior Nii Manfoi Davies (Town & Country, MO/Principia) and sophomore Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) played a pair of close matches, dropping 8-5 and 9-8 decisions during the invitational.
Women's Tennis (6-0, 2-0) Takes Only Match of Week, Extends Winning Streak to 10
The Wheaton College women's tennis team picked up a 9-0 victory over Springfield College on Saturday during its lone match of the week while staying perfect this fall and extending its winning streak to 10 matches dating back to last season, matching the program's longest run of success since 1999. The Lyons are in a four-way tie for first place in the NEWMAC standings after two matches.
During doubles play against visiting Springfield, senior captain Maya Milic-Strkalj (Philadelphia, PA/Friends' Central School) and sophomore Katherine Knies (Purdys, NY/North Salem) corralled the most decisive win, an 8-1 triumph in the second spot. Freshmen Sarah Geocaris (Newport Beach, CA/Sage Hill School) and Catherine Teague (Manchester, NH/Central) were victorious at number one, while classmates Chelsea Cordes (Jamestown, RI/North Kingstown) and Ellen Van Faasen (Manchester, MA/Manchester Essex Regional) won in the third position. In singles play, Cordes, Geocaris, Knies, Milic-Strkalj, Teague and Van Faasen each won in straight sets.
Through five matches, Wheaton's players have a cumulative 34-2 singles mark and a 16-2 doubles record. Teague is 6-0 at the top spot while yielding only 14 games in sweeping each of her six opponents. Geocaris is 6-0 in the second slot, and she and Teague have combined to lose just 10 games while winning all six of their doubles matches. Milic-Strkalj and Van Faasen are also 6-0 in singles.
Teague Draws Top Singles Honor From NEWMAC in First Week of Selections
Teague was named NEWMAC Singles Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 9, as the first-year student has held down the Lyons' top singles position. During the first five matches of the season, Teague blanked opponents from Clark University and Gordon College, yielded just two games against a Simmons College foe and surrendered three games versus Union College. Teague's toughest battle during the first two weeks was in her first initial collegiate match, a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Women's Volleyball (9-2, 1-1) Wins Two of Three, Including NEWMAC Opener
The Wheaton College women's volleyball team went 2-1 last week, sweeping visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), 3-0 (30-21, 30-12, 30-25) in its league opener and host Emmanuel College, 3-0 (30-26, 30-17, 30-22) on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before falling to perennial NEWMAC power Springfield College, 3-0 (18-30, 19-30, 25-30) on Saturday. Entering the contest with Springfield, Wheaton was riding a six-match winning streak, its longest since the 1997 season. The Lyons are tied with the Pride for fifth in the league standings.
Against WPI, freshman Becca Rose's (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) 29 assists, nine digs and nine services aces keyed a sweep. Rose's ace total fell just two shy of the 16-year-old school record and matched the highest Wheaton total since 2002. Freshman Sam Andreacchi (Burlingame, CA/Pinewood School) finished with 11 kills, first-year Natasha von Sonn (Burbank, CA/Burbank) notched 10 kills, and classmate Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) collected 26 digs. Freshman Rae Bradley (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) added five kills and seven digs.
The Lyons swept Emmanuel, which competed in the last three NCAA Tournaments. Andreacchi had 13 kills, six digs and four service aces, Hunt tallied 16 digs, and Rose notched 32 assists and four aces. Sophomore Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) contributed seven kills and four aces, von Sonn accounted for five kills and six digs, while Bradley added five kills.
Wheaton fell to visiting Springfield in a sweep. Andreacchi tallied eight kills, Hunt had 19 digs, and Rose collected 19 assists. Bradley and Kraus had five kills apiece, and von Sonn notched seven digs.
Rose Named Wheaton's First NEWMAC Player of the Week in Four Years
Rose garnered the first NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week honor of the fall season for the week ending on Sunday, September 9, becoming the first Lyon to earn the laurel in nearly four years. Rose had 35 assists, eight aces and seven digs during her collegiate debut against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on September 1 before tallying 41 assists and nine digs against Mount Ida College on September 2. For her efforts, she was named to the Regis Invitational All-Tournament team after Wheaton placed second among six teams. Rose also had 30 assists and eight digs in a sweep of Salve Regina University on September 6 and 38 assists and 13 digs against Eastern Nazarene College on September 8.
Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams Take Part in UMass-Dartmouth Invitational
The Wheaton College men's and women's cross country teams competed at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, where the Lyon women placed 11th out of 29 teams and the men came in 18th among a field of 31. With 264 points, Wheaton's women were six shy of 10th.
In her first race since competing at the 2006 NCAA Championship, senior captain Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) placed 12th out of 222 runners in a time of 18:50, which was two seconds shy of the top 10. Juniors Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) and Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) placed 27th and 29th, respectively. On the men's side, freshman Matt Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) matched his sister's feat by pacing Wheaton, completing his first collegiate race in a time of 26:52, good for 64th among 225 runners.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 9/17/07.
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Field Hockey: 2008 season preview (more)
Women's Tennis: 2008 season preview (more)