Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2003--04 > September 8, 2003
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Field Hockey (2-1) Posts Two Straight Victories on Clark Field, Drops Lone Road Game
The Wheaton College field hockey team has won its last two home games in the early going of the 2003 season, including a 1-0 shutout of Becker College on Saturday and a 3-1 victory against Salve Regina University on Thursday. In the opener in Henniker, New Hampshire, the Lyons fell just short of host New England College, as the Pilgrims edged Wheaton, 2-1 in double overtime.
At New England College, the Blue and White took the game's first lead three minutes into the second stanza when sophomore Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg) tallied her first collegiate goal. The Lyons later saw their edge slip away with just over four minutes to play, as NEC knocked home the game-tying goal, setting up the Pilgrims for their overtime heroics. Sophomore Emily Fiskio (Branford, CT/Branford) stopped eight shots in the cage, as Wheaton held a 19-13 edge in shots.
Versus Salve, junior Melissa Busfield (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) recorded a goal and an assist to lead the way. First-year Elizabeth Reimers (Wareham, MA/Tabor Academy) opened the game's scoring at the 20:05 minute mark of the first half, posting her first collegiate goal to give Wheaton a 1-0 advantage. The Lyons would strike again, this time just over nine minutes later, when sophomore Elizabeth Rowland (Holliston, MA/Holliston) received a pass from Busfield inside the circle and put it in the back of the cage to give the Blue and White a 2-0 cushion. Wheaton put the game away for good 10 minutes into the second stanza when freshman Shea Clarke (Bellingham, MA/Bellingham) rifled a shot from the top of the circle that deflected off the stick of Busfield and past the Salve goalkeeper. Fiskio posted four saves in the cage. The Lyons held a 13-10 advantage in shots.
On Saturday, neither Wheaton nor Becker could muster any offense in the first stanza, as Fiskio kept the Hawks in check with six saves. The Lyons broke through at the 30:42 minute mark of the second half. Taking advantage of a penalty corner, sophomore Leigh-Anne Cioffredi (Lebanon, NH/Lebanon) found Reimers in front of the cage. Sliding her shot past the Becker goalie for the 1-0 advantage, Reimers posted her second goal in as many games. Wheaton's defense was spearheaded by Fiskio's 11 stops and defensive saves from Cioffredi and junior Diane Trifilo (Baldwinville, MA/Narragansett Regional). The Lyons outshot the Hawks, 27-13 with a 10-8 edge in penalty corners.
Men's Soccer (2-1-0) Starts Season with Pair of Wins, Falls to Nationally-Ranked Bowdoin
The Wheaton College men's soccer team, ranked fifth in New England according to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA), started the season with a pair of non-conference victories and then fell to nationally-ranked Bowdoin College. The Lyons blanked Salve Regina University, 4-0 on Friday, August 29 in their home opener and then beat Western New England College, 3-1 in Springfield. Traveling to Brunswick, Maine on Sunday, Wheaton suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to Bowdoin.
In the opener, junior forward Matt Ristuccia (Newton, MA/Newton North) posted two goals to help lead Wheaton past Salve. Ristuccia tallied the game's first goal 5:56 into the contest. The Lyons registered the game's second goal midway through the stanza, as junior Barry Finnerty's (Milton, MA/Beaver Country Day) free kick went directly to senior captain Andrew Hench (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead). Hench then punched the rebound past the Seahawk goalkeeper for the 2-0 cushion.
Finnerty extended Wheaton's advantage to 3-0 with an unassisted goal, the first of his collegiate career, at the 29:00 minute mark of the opening half. The score would remain that way until the 71st minute, when Ristuccia added his second goal, this time on a double assist from senior Olivier Brocard (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) and freshman Cameron Habib (Norfolk, MA/Bridgton Academy). Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown) made his Wheaton debut a memorable one, stopping two Salve shots to help preserve the shutout.
At Western New England, Ristuccia scored the game-winning goal in the 69th minute, while senior George Thomas (Canton, MA/Canton) added an insurance goal in the 88th minute. Wheaton took the game's first lead when freshman Ariel Tatum (Cayman Islands, BWI/Holderness) posted his first collegiate goal at the 10:16 minute mark off the first of two assists from Finnerty. WNEC tied the match in the 55th minute. The Lyons held a considerable 23-4 shot advantage and 7-3 corner kick edge over the Golden Bears. Pachniuk had two saves in the victory.
At Bowdoin, the Lyons came out roaring in the first half and took advantage of an early opportunity as Finnerty converted on a corner kick, slicing the ball underneath the crossbar for a 1-0 lead at 16:44. The Polar Bears had their share of chances in the period, with the best opportunity coming in the 35th minute as a Bowdoin player pounced on a rebound, only to have a Wheaton defender boot it away near the goal line. The Polar Bears grabbed the momentum early in the second half and were rewarded for their efforts. Bowdoin deadlocked the game at the 69:29 minute mark. Pachniuk and the Bowdoin goaltender dominated the next twenty minutes, as the two traded spectacular saves to send the game to overtime. In overtime, the game-winning goal came off a deflection in the box as a Bowdoin player toed a loose ball into the net for the victory. Pachniuk stopped six shots.
Women's Soccer (4-0-0) Captures Second Adidas Kick-Off Classic Title, Beats Keene State
The Wheaton College women's soccer team, ranked sixth in the country and first in New England according to the NSCAA, did all it could and more to support its national ranking. Debuting Mirrione Stadium for the first time in late August, the Lyons captured their second Adidas Kick-Off Classic with 5-0 victories over Endicott College and Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ). Wheaton then went onto post its third and fourth consecutive shutouts of the season, knocking off regionally-ranked Western Connecticut State University, 4-0 in Danbury and nationally-ranked Keene State College, 2-0 in Norton. Keene was ranked 11th in the nation and second in the region at the time. In four games, the Lyons have outscored their opponents by a 16-0 margin.
In the Kick-Off Classic, the Lyons wasted no time opening the scoring as senior captain Tracy Prihoda (Needham, MA/Needham) took a feed from classmate Christy McHugh (Salem, MA/Bishop Fenwick) in the seventh minute to make the score 1-0. A little over eight minutes later, Prihoda found senior Sheila Lacambra (Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate) open in front of the net and Lacambra tucked home the goal for a 2-0 Wheaton advantage. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Teresa Lebel (Middleton, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon) headed home a corner kick off the foot of Prihoda for a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the intermission.
In the second half, the Blue and White extended the advantage to 4-0 in the 18th minute. Endicott attempted to clear a Lyon corner kick, only to have the clearing attempt deflect off of Wheaton junior Christy Schneider (Jonesboro, GA/Jonesboro) and onto the foot of classmate Beth Caromile (Warwick, RI/Pilgrim), who blasted her shot under the crossbar. The Lyons registered the fifth goal of the morning when junior Erin Brennan (Mesa, AZ/Xavier College Prep) scored with just over four minutes to go. First-year Amelia Valenzuela (Hermosa Beach, CA/Mira Costa) recorded her first collegiate assist on the play. In net, Wheaton senior Jessica Broomhead (Barrington, RI/Barrington) posted one save. The Lyons outshot Endicott, 27-1 and held a 13-1 corner kick edge.
Against Stevens, Wheaton exploded for four goals in the final 13:14 of regulation to capture the Adidas Kick-Off Classic championship. The Lyons and Ducks battled through 35 minutes of scoreless play before the hosts were able to break the knot. Caromile finally got the Lyons on the board with the half's lone goal with just over nine minutes remaining, as first-year Bridget Furlong (Newburyport, MA/Newburyport) found a streaking Caromile in the goal box. With 13:14 to play, the Blue and White answered the call by posting three unanswered goals over a four-minute span. Prihoda contributed two of the three tallies, while Lacambra recorded her second goal in as many days. Brennan assisted on Wheaton's final two goals, including a pass that positioned sophomore Katie Hall (Longmont, CO/Niwot) with a successful breakaway attempt. Broomhead had one save in 82 minutes of play.
At Western, Prihoda posted two goals and recorded two assists to lead the Lyons to their third shutout of the season. In assisting on Wheaton's second goal, Prihoda surpassed Courtney Linden for career assists in the school's women's soccer record book. Scoring six points on the afternoon, Prihoda also reached the coveted 200-point plateau, becoming only the 21st player in the history of NCAA Division III women's soccer to hit 200 points. Wheaton landed its first goal of the night in the 25th minute, as freshman Jordan Pouliot (Manchester, NH/Trinity) took Prihoda's pass and drilled her shot past the Western goalkeeper. Less than 12 minutes later, Prihoda assisted another freshman with her first collegiate goal, as Maggie Falkenreck (Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet) gave the Lyons a 2-0 lead.
Wheaton continued to apply pressure in the second stanza, as Prihoda and Pouliot hooked up for a second time. In the 56th minute, Prihoda took a Pouliot pass and chipped her shot past the keeper from ten yards out. Prihoda iced the game at the 74:35 minute mark when she received a pass from Schneider and added the fourth Wheaton goal and her 200th career point. Broomhead recorded one save in 75 minutes of play. The Lyons held a 30-2 advantage in shots and a 9-2 edge in corner kicks.
In a rematch of the 2002 NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament title game, Wheaton bested Keene State on Sunday. The Lyons and Owls battled through a scoreless first half, with both teams given multiple scoring opportunities. Wheaton had two of the more memorable chances, when Brennan and McHugh each hit goal posts. Play in the second half was again nip-and-tuck, until ten minutes into the stanza when Brennan broke the stalemate. Receiving a pass from McHugh in the middle of the field, Brennan took a few dribbles, beat an Owl defender to her right and proceeded to direct a perfectly-placed shot in the bottom left corner of the goal. The Lyons doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute, when Pouliot struck her left-footed shot towards the near post and into the back of the net. Broomhead finished the contest with four saves apiece. Wheaton registered 21 total shots, while the Owls held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
Women's Tennis (2-0, 1-0) Knocks Off Defending NEWMAC Champions in 2-0 Week
The Wheaton College women's tennis team had quite an impressive and memorable first weekend to open its 2003 campaign, as the Lyons knocked off the defending NEWMAC champion MIT Engineers, 5-4 on Saturday and swept Plymouth State University, 9-0 on Friday. The win over MIT marked the first time since 1995 that the Lyons had defeated the Engineers.
Wheaton began the Plymouth match by sweeping doubles play, led by freshmen Ashley Kriwinsky (Munson, OH/Hawken) and Darby McDermott (Briarcliff, NY/Hackley School) at first doubles. Kriwinsky and McDermott earned their first collegiate victories with an 8-1 triumph. Sophomore Mia Mathias (Boxford, MA/Pingree School) sided with first-year Jamie Weiss (Chicago, IL/Francis W. Parker) for an 8-2 victory at second doubles, while junior co-captain Caitlin Amaral (Glocester, RI/Ponaganset) and classmate Whitney Sirois (Presque Isle, ME/Presque Isle) combined for an 8-5 win at third doubles.
In singles play, Wheaton's top of the lineup won in convincing fashion. Kriwinsky won 6-0, 6-0 at the top spot, while Weiss and junior Maris Madeira (Southwest Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island) defeated their opponents 6-0, 6-1 at the second and third slots. Mathias needed a tiebreaker in the first set to complete her win, while McDermott and senior Emily Dana (Hamilton, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) completed the sweep with straight-set wins in the fifth and sixth positions.
On Saturday, Wheaton did what only one other conference team had done in the last four years, as the Lyons stunned host MIT. The one-point edge in doubles play was key for the Lyons, as Wheaton and MIT each won three singles matches. Kriwinsky and McDermott turned back the Engineers top doubles tandem 8-5. Dana and Amaral also won 8-5 at third doubles. Wheaton was given all it could handle in singles play, as all three Lyons' victories either went to three sets or into a tiebreaker. Kriwinsky gave Wheaton a boost with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at number one singles. Mathias and Dana were resilient at fourth and sixth singles, respectively, as both battled back from a one-set deficit to round out Wheaton's point total. Dropping her first set 6-1, Mathias took the next two sets 6-3, 6-3, while Dana, who also surrendered a 6-1 loss in her first set, responded with scores of 6-3, 6-1.
Women's Volleyball (2-2) Splits Four Matches at the University of Dallas Festival
The Wheaton College women's volleyball team split four matches at the University of Dallas Festival to open its 2003 campaign. The Lyons dropped their two matches to host Dallas, 3-2 (30-26, 30-28, 24-30, 31-33, 13-15) and Sul Ross State University (TX), 3-1 (27-30, 24-30, 30-28, 28-30) on Friday, but evened their record by winning two matches on Saturday against Hendrix College (AR), 3-1 (30-21, 30-21, 18-30, 30-24) and Schreiner University (TX), 3-2 (30-26, 28-30, 30-22, 29-31, 15-11).
In the Dallas opener, senior Darcey Vertuca (Boulder, CO/Boulder) registered a double-double performance with 33 assists and 23 digs. Senior captain Bree Bessette (Charlestown, RI/The Prout School) led the hitting charge with 16 kills to go along with six blocks. Vertuca and sophomore Marriah Vengroff (Storrs, CT/E.O. Smith) also added six blocks, with Vengroff posting 10 kills. Sophomore Elizabeth Reagh (Seattle, WA/Seattle Lutheran) contributed 13 kills and nine digs, while freshman Allison Reichentahl (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) recorded 13 digs in her collegiate debut.
Vertuca again led the Lyons in Friday's second match with Sul Ross State, contributing 29 assists, 11 digs and four service aces. Reagh and Vengroff paced the hitting charge with 12 and 10 kills, respectively, with Reagh adding 10 digs and Vengroff five blocks and four service aces. Rounding out the double-figure dig totals was Reichentahl with 14 and first-year Jade Lee (Eagle, ID/Eagle) with 11.
In Wheaton's victory versus Hendrix, Vengroff and Bessette recorded 13 and 12 kills, respectively, while Vertuca set up 34 assists with 10 digs. Lee was solid with a team-high 16 digs, while Reagh wasn't far behind with 15 digs and seven kills.
Against Schreiner, Vertuca again recorded a double-double performance with 34 assists and 16 digs to help the Lyons even their mark at 2-2. Offensively, Vengroff and first-year Katie Dooley (Carpinteria, CA/Cate School) accounted for 10 kills apiece, with Vengroff adding six service aces and Dooley just missing a double-double with nine digs. Vengroff and Bessette presented a formidable middle for the Blue and White with an impressive eight blocks each. Senior Anna Kratky (St. Louis, MO/Villa Duchesne) added 15 digs in the victory.
Cross Country Women Capture Hayseed Classic Title, Men Place Third Overall
Senior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover) and sophomore Kendra Leith (Holden, MA/Watchusett Regional) led the Wheaton College women's cross country team to its first top team finish at the Hayseed Classic Saturday at Tufts University. Junior Stan Pyle (S. Portland, ME/S. Portland) propelled the men to a third place mark. The women's 35 points bettered host Tufts by a margin of 19, while the men tallied 108 points.
On the women's side, the Lyons captured the top two spots and had an impressive four runners among the top eight finishers. Competing in her first collegiate cross country race, Spence made the most of her debut by topping the competition with a time of 19:15. Covering the five-kilometer course in 19:44, Leith placed second overall. Other top Wheaton finishers included freshman Jonatta Moore (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) in sixth in 20:13 and sophomore Christina Langevin (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) in eighth in 20:28.
Pyle, who quickly returned to national caliber form following a leave of absence last season, crossed the finish line in the runner-up position at 26:25, 29 seconds behind the individual champion. Joining Pyle on the eight-kilometer course was four Wheaton teammates that finished within nine placements of one another, including senior Brian Donoghue (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke Catholic) in 32nd in 29:01, sophomore Eric Richardson (East Walpole, MA/Bishop Feehan) in 35th in 29:13, junior Joe Chadwick (Shelburne Falls, MA/Mohawk Trail Regional) in 38th in 29:31 and first-year Matt Pierce (Lincoln, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) in 40th in 29:37.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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Men's Tennis: Men's tennis players Beekman and Hudgins named ITA Scholar-Athletes (more)
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