Late tallies push Wheaton past Smith in NEWMAC play, 11-9

April 19, 2008

NORTHAMPTON, MA- Senior Alexa Jurczak (Davidsonville, MD/Miss Porter's School) and junior Madeline Williams (Annapolis, MD/Key School) scored 52 seconds apart late in regulation to help the Wheaton College women's lacrosse team snap a 9-9 tie en route to defeating homestanding Smith College, 11-9 on Saturday in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action.

As the first of the league's seven teams to complete their conference slate, the 7-8 Lyons sit fourth in the NEWMAC with a 3-3 league record. Wheaton currently occupies the final home playoff spot for the NEWMAC Tournament but will not find out its postseason seed until the remaining six schools finish their conference schedules next Saturday. Smith fell to 4-8 and 1-4.

The Pioneers pushed ahead of the Lyons early, tallying three times in the opening 5:28 while holding the visitors off the board. Senior Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) scored first for Wheaton midway through the opening period, but Smith responded with less than 10 minutes remaining to go back up by three at 4-1. Late in the half, senior Meredith Hurd's (Bath, ME/Hyde School) marker at 3:40 was followed by a Dimick goal 22 seconds later that brought the Blue and White within 4-3, but the Pioneers scored exactly one minute after Dimick and took a 5-3 edge into the intermission.

Dimick and junior Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole) scored 2:04 apart early in the second half to draw the teams even and, after Smith recaptured its two-goal lead at 7-5, the Lyons rattled off four consecutive markers to corral a 9-7 advantage with 10:35 left. Wheaton's final three goals in that run came during a 3:37 stretch, as Dimick's fourth of the game stood as the go-ahead marker. Jurczak found the back of the net at 10:35 to complete the spurt, but Smith regrouped by scoring at 10:21 and 6:13 to knot the contest.

With less than five minutes remaining, Wheaton went back on top for good. Jurczak scored the eventual game-winning tally at 4:43, while Williams added her insurance goal at 3:51.

Dimick led Wheaton with four markers and Jurczak had two. In net, freshman Annalisa Carson (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) made 11 saves. For Smith, freshman Caitlin Kennedy (South Hadley, MA/South Hadley) recorded a hat trick, while senior Sara Smyth (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep Country Day School) had two goals and three assists. Classmate Sara Smith (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep Country Day School) had 22 stops.

Wheaton completes its regular season schedule on Tuesday, as the Lyons host Wesleyan University at 5:30 p.m. The NEWMAC Tournament begins on Wednesday, April 30.

SCORING: 1st 2nd Final
Wheaton (7-8, 3-3) 3 8 11
Smith (4-8, 1-4) 5 4 9

Cumulative Scoring:
Goals: WC- Sara Dimick 4, Alexa Jurczak 2, Emma Doyle, Caitlin Grant, Meredith Hurd, Bridget Thornton, Madeline Williams; SC- Caitlin Kennedy 3, Sara Smyth 2, Lesley Aldrich, Lindsey Aldrich, Emily Riff, Carolyn Whiting

Assists: WC- Thornton; SC- Smyth 3, Lindsey Aldrich, Riff

Goalie Saves: WC- Annalisa Carson 11; SC- Sara Smith 22

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