Weekly Lyon

Field Hockey (3-2) Has Three-Game Winning Streak Snapped, Defeats Endicott

The Wheaton College field hockey team had its three-game winning streak come to an end this week, as the Lyons fell to nationally-ranked Bowdoin College, 3-0 on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Wheaton posted its second shutout of the season with a 1-0 victory at Endicott College.

At Endicott, junior Laura Oswald (Pacific Grove, CA/Stevenson) took advantage of her penalty stroke with 6:14 to play, leading Wheaton to the victory. The Lyons outshot the Gulls, 12-4 in the opening period as the two teams carried a scoreless tie into the intermission. In the second stanza, the Gulls triggered 17 shots to Wheaton's six, but sophomore Emily Fiskio (Branford, CT/Branford) was solid in the cage with an impressive 11 saves. Freshman Elizabeth Reimers (Wareham, MA/Tabor Academy) continued to spearhead the defense with two defensive saves. With time winding down in the second half, Wheaton was granted a penalty stroke opportunity. Due to an infraction by the Gull goalkeeper, Oswald took her second stroke of the season, this time scoring her first tally of the year. For the game, Endicott held a 21-18 edge in shots and 13-10 margin in penalty corners.

On Sunday, Bowdoin didn't take long to break open the scoring, as the Polar Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 2:32 into the opening half. Bowdoin extended its advantage to 2-0 with 8:58 remaining before the intermission. The Polar Bears outshot the host Lyons, 10-1 in the first stanza. The visitors scored their third tally of the game early in the second half to put the contest out of reach. The Lyons had scoring opportunities late in the contest, but the Bowdoin defense stopped four Wheaton shots to preserve the shutout. Fiskio recorded nine saves in the loss. Bowdoin held a 22-6 shot advantage.

Reimers Tabbed NEWMAC Player of the Week

Reimers didn't waste any time earning due recognition, as she was tabbed New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 7. A freshman defender for the Lyons, Reimers helped lead Wheaton to a pair of non-conference victories on the week. She posted a goal and two defensive saves in a 3-1 win over Salve Regina University and then tallied the game-winning goal in a 1-0 shutout of Becker College. Both games were played at Clark Field.

Men's Soccer (4-1-0) Registers Pair of Shutouts, Blanks Bridgewater State and Keene State

The Wheaton College men's soccer team, ranked in a tied for fourth in New England according to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA), registered a pair of shutouts on the week. The Lyons blanked Bridgewater State, 3-0 on Wednesday at Keefe Field and then posted an identical result on Saturday at home versus regionally-ranked Keene State. Keene was also ranked in a tie for fourth.

Behind a pair of goals from senior George Thomas (Canton, MA/Canton), Wheaton recorded its second shutout against Bridgewater State. Senior Oliver Brocard (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) gave Wheaton a boost at 37:11 with his first goal of the season. Junior Barry Finnerty (Milton, MA/Beaver Country Day) and first-year Chris Sentance (Concord, MA/Williston-Northampton) were credited with the assists. Thomas doubled the Wheaton lead in the 56th minute, escaping two Bear defenders and directing a perfectly-placed shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Thomas' second goal nine minutes later was just as pretty, as he weaved between a pair of BSC defenders and rifled his 25-yard shot underneath the crossbar. Sophomore keeper Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown) recorded two saves in 73 minutes. The Blue and White held a 22-5 shot advantage and 6-0 edge in corner kicks.

Senior Matt Mancini (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) had some timely scoring Saturday, posting his first career hat-trick in Wheaton's shutout over Keene State. Mancini didn't waste anytime putting the Lyons on the scoreboard. On a cross from Brocard, junior Matt Ristuccia (Newton, MA/Newton North) flicked the ball to Mancini, who used a header to beat the Owl goalkeeper at the 7:45 minute mark. In the 14th minute, Mancini struck again, this time off a restart from Finnerty. The Owls had multiple chances to cut into its deficit in the second half, but solid goaltending from Wheaton's Pachniuk kept the visitors off the scoreboard. The Lyons also had their fair share of opportunities. Thanks to a perfectly-placed corner kick attempt from Finnerty, Thomas, who was standing near the far post, headed his pass back to the center of the box where Mancini was there to put the game away for good. Pachniuk posted his third shutout with six stops. The Owls held a 13-10 advantage in shots.

Women's Soccer (5-1-0) Even in the Midwest, Falls to Wheaton and Beats Illinois Wesleyan

The Wheaton College women's soccer team, ranked fifth in the country and first in New England by the NSCAA, recorded a 1-1 mark on its Midwest trip. In a battle of Wheaton programs Friday, the fourth-ranked Thunder of Wheaton College (IL) edged the Lyons, 1-0 in double overtime. That was the first goal allowed by the Blue and White all season. Wheaton sought redemption on Sunday, as the Lyons posted their fifth shutout of the year with a 2-0 win over Illinois Wesleyan University.

On Friday night, the Thunder edged the Lyons in double overtime. Marking the first meeting between the two Wheaton programs, it took the Thunder nearly 104 minutes to score on the Lyons. The two teams fought through a scoreless battle until the 103:40 minute mark of the second overtime when Wheaton (IL) headed the ball into the net off. The Lyons held a 22-17 advantage in shots and 5-3 edge in corner kicks. Neither team had allowed a goal entering the match and the two defenses certainly lived up to their billing. Lyon goalie Jessica Broomhead (Barrington, RI/Barrington) made nine saves.

At Illinois Wesleyan, junior Erin Duffy (E. Longmeadow, MA/E. Longmeadow) sparked Wheaton's offense with her first goal of the season in the 14th minute of the opening half. First-year Bridget Furlong (Newburyport, MA/Newburyport) picked up the assist on the play. The Lyons carried their 1-0 advantage into the intermission. Six minutes into the second half Wheaton extended its lead, as sophomore Teresa Lebel (Middleton, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon) drove home her penalty kick attempt. The Lyons were awarded the kick after senior Sheila Lacambra (Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate) was pulled down from behind in the box. On the ensuing kick, Lebel registered her second goal of the season. Wheaton doubled Illinois Wesleyan's shot attempts with a 22-11 advantage. Broomhead finished with eight saves en route to her fifth shutout of the season.

Women's Tennis (5-0, 2-0) Continues Torrid Pace with Wins over UMD, WPI and Gordon

The Wheaton College women's tennis team continued its torrid pace this week, as the Lyons are off to one of their best starts in program history. Wheaton swept UMass-Dartmouth, 9-0 on Monday at Clark Tennis Courts, blanked WPI, 9-0 in a NEWMAC match in Worcester on Friday and later cruised to a 7-2 triumph over Gordon at home on Saturday.

Against UMass-Dartmouth, the Lyons dominated doubles play across the board, not allowing a single game in all three matches. Sophomore Mia Mathias (Boxford, MA/Pingree School) and freshman Ashley Kriwinsky (Munson, OH/Hawken) paired up at first singles, while junior co-captain Maris Madeira (Southwest Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island) and first-year Jamie Weiss (Chicago, IL/Francis W. Parker) occupied the second slot. Senior Emily Dana (Hamilton, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) and junior Caitlin Amaral (Glocester, RI/Ponaganset) sided at third doubles. Singles play proved to be no different, as all six Wheaton players fled to straight-set victories. Weiss, Madeira, Mathias, Dana and Amaral limited their opponents to a maximum of two points per set in the first through five positions, while freshman Eden Gudonis (Manchester, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) collected her first collegiate victory with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph at sixth singles.

At WPI, singles play was Wheaton's strong suit, as the Lyons limited their opponents to a mere nine games. Not allowing a single game in their straight-set triumphs was Weiss at second singles, first-year Darby McDermott (Briarcliff, NY/Hackley School) in the fifth position and Dana in the sixth slot. Madeira and Mathias had little difficulty at third and fourth singles, respectively, while Kriwinsky cruised past her opponent 6-0 in her first set and then battled to a 7-5 win in the second set. At doubles, Kriwinsky and McDermott won 8-2 in the first position, while Weiss and Mathias captured an 8-3 victory in the second slot. Dana and Amaral rounded out the wins with an 8-1 decision in the third spot.

Versus Gordon, Wheaton began the match by taking two of the three doubles points. Leading the way was Kriwinsky and McDermott, as the tandem posted an 8-1 triumph in the top spot. Also victorious was Dana and Amaral in the third slot. With a 2-1 advantage heading into singles play, the Lyons left little doubt in the outcome as they went onto capture wins in five of the six matches. Wheaton's bottom of the order spearheaded the effort, with McDermott and Dana cruising to 6-0, 6-0 triumphs at fifth and sixth singles, respectively. Kriwinsky, Weiss and Mathias also registered straight-set victories in their respective matches.

Kriwinsky Garners NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week Accolades

Kriwinsky garnered NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 7. Kriwinsky made an immediate impact at the top singles and doubles positions, helping the Lyons upset defending conference champion MIT, 5-4 and sweep Plymouth State University, 9-0. Prior to playing Wheaton, MIT had dropped only one regular season conference match in the last four years. Against the Engineers, Kriwinsky turned back a NEWMAC All-Conference player 6-4, 7-5 and captured an 8-5 victory in doubles play. Versus Plymouth State, she earned her first collegiate victories with a 6-0, 6-0 triumph in the top singles slot and a convincing 8-1 victory at first doubles.

Women's Volleyball (4-4) Posts 2-2 Mark at Johnson & Wales University Invitational

For the second straight weekend, the Wheaton College women's volleyball team split its four matches, this time at the Johnson & Wales University Invitational. The Lyons dropped a pair of matches on Friday to Bridgewater State College, 3-1 (30-28, 19-30, 24-30, 24-30) and Colby-Sawyer College, 3-2 (21-30, 30-28, 30-23, 27-30, 11-15). Wheaton came back strong on Saturday with two wins against UMass-Dartmouth, 3-0 (30-17, 30-17, 30-12) and host JWU, 3-1 (30-17, 33-31, 21-30, 30-20).

Against Bridgewater State, the Blue and White jumped out to a 1-0 edge, but the Bears stormed back to win three straight games to capture the win. Sophomores Marriah Vengroff (Storrs, CT/E.O. Smith) and Elizabeth Reagh (Seattle, WA/Seattle Lutheran) accounted for 10 kills apiece, while senior Anna Kratky (St. Louis, MO/Villa Duchesne) led the defense with 10 digs. Senior Darcey Vertuca (Boulder, CO/Boulder) distributed 35 assists with a team-high seven blocks and seven digs.

In Friday's second match, Wheaton led two games to one versus Colby-Sawyer, but the Chargers responded to win the next two games. Reagh posted a double-double performance with team-best totals of 15 kills and 16 digs, while Vertuca contributed 12 digs and 35 assists. Offensively, Vengroff and senior captain Bree Bessette (Charlestown, RI/The Prout School) had 12 kills each, with Bessette adding seven blocks and Vengroff five. Kratky accounted for 12 digs in the loss.

The Lyons had little difficulty against UMass-Dartmouth, as Wheaton recorded its first sweep of the season. Vertuca registered a double-double with 10 digs, 38 assists and five service aces, while Bessette was the team's offensive leader with 12 kills. Reagh and Vengroff added eight kills apiece.

Wheaton carried its momentum into the final match, taking the first two games from JWU and game four to even its tournament record at 2-2. Vengroff was impressive with 16 kills and six blocks, while Bessette wasn't far behind with 11 kills and eight blocks. Vertuca continued her stellar play with 10 digs, 45 assists and seven blocks. Freshman Allison Reichentahl (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) added 11 digs. At the conclusion of the Invitational, Bessette was named to the All-Tournament team.

Pyle Named ECAC Male Athlete of the Week

Wheaton College men's cross country standout Stan Pyle (S. Portland, ME/S. Portland) was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 7. Pyle, who is a junior with the Lyons, propelled the men to a third place finish at the annual Tufts University Hayseed Classic in Grafton. Quickly returning to national caliber form following a leave of absence last season, Pyle covered the eight-kilometer course with a time of 26:25, a mark good enough for second place overall. He finished 29 seconds behind the individual champion.

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