Weekly Lyon

Men's Soccer (15-5-0, 5-1-0) Finishes Season at NEWMAC Tournament

The Wheaton College men's soccer team saw its 2002 season come to a close Saturday afternoon, as the Lyons were stunned by fourth-seeded Babson, 3-1 in the first semifinal round contest of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament at Keefe Field. Since Wheaton chose not to declare for an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament bid, the 19th-ranked Lyons finish the season with an overall record of 15-5.

Against Babson, Wheaton allowed three second-half goals in the defeat. Wheaton's best scoring opportunity of the opening half came in the first three minutes of play, as freshman back James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School) received a cross and headed his shot over the crossbar. Play remained even through the majority of the first half, until the Beavers found a few chances of their own. With seven minutes to play, the Beavers posted a shot from point blank range, but a diving save from Wheaton senior goalie Mike Henninger (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) kept the game scoreless. The teams entered the half in a scoreless tie.

In the second half, the Lyons again had an opportunity to break the stalemate in the opening minutes when senior Shaun Cavanaugh (Newtown, CT/Newtown) found himself open in front of the net. Cavanaugh directed his shot to the middle of the goal, but it was a kick save by the Babson keeper that kept Wheaton off the board. In the 69th minute, the Beavers tallied their first goal. Not even a minute later, the Lyons found the equalizer, as junior forward Matt Mancini (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) redirected a Cavanaugh pass onto the foot of junior George Thomas (Canton, MA/Canton), who drove his shot into the upper right netting.

The rest of the scoring belonged to Babson, as the Beavers managed to get behind the Wheaton defense and convert on two separate instances. In a span of six minutes, Babson found themselves in one on one situations with the goalkeeper and both times they managed to find the back corner of the net to seal the upset victory. Henninger posted four saves for the Lyons, as Babson held a 12-10 advantage in shots, with each team having six corner kick attempts.

Women's Soccer (20-1-0, 9-0-0) Captures Third Straight Tournament Title, Set to Host 2002 NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament

The Wheaton College women's soccer team captured its third straight NEWMAC Tournament championship over the weekend and in process is set to host its second consecutive NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament on November 16-17. Extending its conference-winning streak to 28 games (including tournaments), Wheaton edged Smith, 2-1 in overtime in Saturday's semifinal round and then blanked MIT, 5-0 in Sunday's title contest at Elms Field. Ranked first in the region and fourth in the country according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the Lyons also extended their current winning streak to 17 games. Being the top seed at this weekend's regional semifinal and final rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Lyons will play the winner of Bridgewater State College and Western New England College on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

Against Smith, sophomore midfielder Christy Schneider (Jonesboro, GA/Jonesboro) headed in a corner kick from junior Tracy Prihoda (Needham, MA/Needham) in the 97th minute, as Wheaton survived a scare from the fourth-seeded Pioneers. Wheaton had multiple opportunities to take the lead in the first half, as both Prihoda and sophomore Erin Brennan (Mesa, AZ/Xavier College Prep) missed open looks at the net. At the 32:36 minute mark, the Lyons were awarded a golden opportunity, as Prihoda was taken down in the penalty box. On the ensuing kick, sophomore Carolyn Wills (Salt Lake City, UT/East) missed left and the game remained scoreless.

In the second stanza, the Smith defense continued to shutdown Wheaton's attack, limiting the Blue and White's scoring opportunities. The Pioneers then broke through at the 55:32 minute mark, taking a 1-0 over the host Lyons. Trailing for only the third time all season, Wheaton bounced back just four minutes later, as the Lyons were awarded another penalty kick with Prihoda again taken down in the left side of the penalty area. This time, sophomore Erin Duffy (East Longmeadow, MA/East Longmeadow) buried the shot past the Smith goalkeeper to tie the game a one goal each.

As the contest headed into overtime, Wheaton's first overtime game of the season, the Lyons were able to fight off a minor Pioneer threat in the opening minute and then take control of the ball for the rest of the extra session. In the 97th minute, Prihoda delivered a corner to the far end of the box and Schneider headed home the game winner for the 2-1 victory. Junior goalkeeper Jessica Broomhead (Barrington, RI/Barrington) finished the game with one save, as Wheaton outshot Smith, 16-3 on the afternoon and held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Versus MIT, Wheaton opened the scoring at the 13:29 minute mark, as Prihoda crossed a pass to the left side of the field and found Brennan. Brennan headed the ball past the MIT goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead. The Engineers then found themselves with a couple of opportunities to tie the game, but Broomhead came up with a clutch save followed by an MIT shot sailing above the crossbar. Taking advantage of the Engineer miscues, the Blue and White took a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute when Prihoda delivered a pass to a wide open Brennan in the center of the field. Brennan collected her second goal of the game, sending her shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Ten minutes later, first-year Kate Miller (Williamstown, MA/Mount Greylock) received a pass on the right side of the goal box from classmate Katie Hall (Longmont, CO/Niwot) for a 3-0 lead.

In the 73rd minute, junior Christy McHugh (Salem, MA/Bishop Fenwick) scored the first of her two goals, the former coming from Prihoda, who added her third helper of the game. McHugh's second tally came at 79:11 on a cross from classmate Sheila Lacambra (Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate). Broomhead and first-year Emily Lipsky (Whitestone, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) shared time in net for Wheaton, stopping three and one shots, respectively. Wheaton outshot the Engineers, 19-7 and held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Women's Volleyball (15-16, 4-5) Closes Season with Seven-Win Improvement

The Wheaton College women's volleyball team saw its season come to a close Tuesday evening, as the sixth-seeded Lyons fell to third-seeded Coast Guard, 3-0 (19-30, 23-30, 25-30) in the opening round of the NEWMAC Tournament. Posting seven more victories than the 2001 season, Wheaton finished the year with an overall record of 15-16.

Junior middle hitter Bree Bessette (Charlestown, RI/The Prout School) and freshman Marriah Vengroff (Storrs, CT/E.O. Smith) led the way offensively for Wheaton with seven kills apiece. Senior outside hitter Melissa Jamin (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) and first-year outside hitter Katie Stephens (Santa Barbara, CA/Dos Pueblos) registered 18 and 15 digs, respectively, while junior setter Darcey Vertuca (Boulder, CO/Boulder) accounted for 13 digs and 26 assists in the loss.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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