Weekly Lyon

Field Hockey (1-0) Opens 2004 Season with Overtime Victory at Salve Regina

The Wheaton College field hockey team opened its 2004 season with a 2-1 overtime victory at Salve Regina University in Thursday's non-conference contest.

Freshman forward Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) shined at Salve, as she posted her first collegiate goal just over eight minutes into the extra session. The Seahawks jumped out in front in the early going and kept their one-goal lead in tact for the remainder of the first half, but the Lyons found the equalizer seven minutes into the second stanza. Senior co-captain Laura Oswald (Pacific Grove, CA/Stevenson) knotted the score on a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute.

Despite a dominant second half that included 24 shots and seven penalty corner opportunities, Wheaton was unable to take advantage of its chances, sending the contest into the extra session. Holding Salve to one shot in the overtime, the Lyons used seven shots before capitalizing on the eighth on Dimick's conversion. Freshman Lindsay Raymond (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme) was credited with the assist. Wheaton finished the game with a 40-12 advantage in shots and 11-4 margin in corners. Junior goalkeeper Emily Fiskio (Branford, CT/Branford) registered 11 saves on the afternoon.

Men's Soccer (3-0-0) Reels Off Three Wins to Extend Unbeaten Streak to 18 Straight

The Wheaton College men's soccer team, ranked fourth in the country according to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA), reeled off three straight victories to open the 2004 season and in the process extended the nation's second longest current unbeaten streak to an impressive 18 straight games. Wheaton blanked Salve Regina University, 2-0 in Thursday's season opener at Fort Adams and then posted two victories over the weekend to capture the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Tournament title in North Adams. The Lyons knocked off Western New England College, 2-1 on Saturday and shutout the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, 1-0 in double overtime on Sunday.

In the opener, senior Barry Finnerty (Milton, MA/Beaver Country Day) became Wheaton's all-time leader in career assists, as the Lyons posted their eighth straight shutout against Salve Regina. Finnerty recorded his 37th career assist in the seventh minute, feeding sophomore Ariel Tatum (Cayman Islands, BWI/Holderness) for the 1-0 Wheaton edge. Finnerty capped his historic day with an unassisted goal at the 34:04 minute mark. Giving the Lyons a 2-0 cushion, Finnerty directed his free kick out of the reach of the Seahawk goalie. That's all the scoring the Blue and White needed, as Wheaton kept the Salve offense at bay with a mere three shots. The Lyons outshot the Seahawks, 14-3, as sophomore goalie Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown) earned the shutout with three saves.

Against Western New England, the opening half witnessed scoreless play for over 35 minutes, but freshman Trevor Cote (Portsmouth, RI/Providence Country Day) broke the stalemate with his first collegiate goal at 35:33. Cote followed up a crossbar deflection to give the Lyons a 1-0 lead that would hold through halftime. Senior Matt Ristuccia (Newton, MA/Newton North) was credited with the assist. In the second half, Western New England knotted the contest in the 69th minute, but Wheaton had the last say. Sophomore Cameron Habib (Norfolk, MA/Bridgton Academy) launched a perfectly-placed 20-yard shot underneath the crossbar and into the upper right corner of the net at 79:10 to clinch the win. The Lyons posted a 12-6 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in corner kicks. Pachniuk recorded five saves.

Versus UMass-Dartmouth, the game was déjà vu all over again for Habib, who recorded his second game-winning goal in as many days. Earning Offensive MVP honors, Habib tallied his unassisted score with just three minutes to play in the second extra session. The Lyons and Corsairs battled to a scoreless draw in the opening half, but the second stanza and overtime periods saw UMass-Dartmouth pack in all 11 players on its side of the field in hopes of salvaging a tie. With Wheaton's defensive players positioned at midfield the majority of the game, the Lyon offense did what it could to create scoring opportunities. The Corsair game plan nearly panned out, but in the end it was Habib's goal that proved to be the difference. Wheaton managed 25 shots to UMass-Dartmouth's nine. Pachniuk raised his season record to 3-0 following his four-save performance.

Women's Soccer (2-0-0) Posts Pair of Home Shutouts to Open 2004 Season

The Wheaton College women's soccer team, ranked fifth in the country and first in New England according to the NSCAA, began the 2004 season in strong fashion with a pair of shutout victories at Mirrione Stadium. Winners in 60 of their last 62 games at Mirrione and 21 of their last 22 contests overall dating back to last season, the Lyons edged regionally-ranked Western Connecticut State University, 1-0 on Thursday and then rolled past Husson College, 7-0 on Saturday.

On Thursday, freshman forward Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth) made her collegiate debut a memorable one, posting the game's lone goal to help lift Wheaton over Western. The Lyons held a 19-0 shot advantage in the opening half, but only Rabesa's strike managed to get past the Colonial goalkeeper. Senior Beth Caromile (Warwick, RI/Pilgrim) orchestrated the play from midfield, where she fed a streaking Rabesa down the middle of the field past the Colonial defense. Left with a breakaway, Rabesa sent a left-footed arcing shot over the reach of the goalie. Freshman goalie Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) finished with three saves in her first collegiate win.

Versus Husson, Wheaton exploded for five goals in the first half and never looked back. Senior All-America Erin Brennan (Mesa, AZ/Xavier Prep), classmate Carolyn Wills (Salt Lake City, UT/East) and freshman Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) tallied two goals apiece, while sophomore Jordan Pouliot (Manchester, NH/Trinity) accounted for a career-high three assists. Brennan, whose two goals tied Christy McHugh '04 for third on Wheaton's all-time points (127) and goals (45) lists, began the scoring with a pretty header from Pouliot in the sixth minute.

Pouliot then assisted Konopka at 16:53 and Brennan later directed her left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net at 20:03, extending the Lyons' advantage to a three-goal margin. Wills squeezed Wheaton's fourth goal past the Eagle keeper at 28:18 and junior Katie Hall (Longmont, CO/Niwot) rounded out the first-half scoring just before the intermission. The Blue and White tacked on a pair more in the second stanza, as both Mills and Konopka registered their second goals of the day. Wheaton freshman Ashley Furr (Chicopee, MA/Cathedral) contributed two assists in the win. Holding Husson without a shot in the opening half, the Lyons finished the contest with a 33-1 advantage and an 8-0 margin in corner kicks. Junior goalkeeper Emily Lipsky (Whitestone, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) went untested for the majority of the game and was credited with one save.

Women's Tennis (2-0) Begins Season Unbeaten with Wins over Plymouth State and Union

The Wheaton College women's tennis team began its 2004 season on a high note, as the Lyons posted a pair of convincing victories over the weekend to move to 2-0. The Blue and White defeated host Plymouth State University, 6-3 on Friday and then swept Union College, 9-0 in the first meeting between the two programs at Wheaton's Clark Tennis Courts on Saturday.

At Plymouth, the Lyons took four of the six singles matches and two of the three doubles encounters at the P.E. Center Courts. Wheaton's top of the lineup was solid, collecting singles victories in the first through fourth positions and doubles wins in the number one and two slots. The Lyons picked up two wins each from senior captain Maris Madeira (Southwest Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island), sophomores Ashley Kriwinsky (Munsun, OH/Hawken) and Darby McDermott (Briarcliff Manor, NY/Hackley School) and freshman Briana Jackson (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow). Kriwinsky, who is ranked 35th in the country and 11th in the Northeast, downed her opponent 6-0, 6-1 in the top spot, while Jackson swept the opposition at third singles. In doubles play, Kriwinsky and Maris Madeira sided for an 8-1 victory in the first position, while McDermott and Jackson collected an 8-3 decision in the second slot. The victory for the Lyons gave a successful Homecoming for head coach Lynn Miller, who is a 1974 graduate of Plymouth State and was inducted into the PSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

On Saturday against Union, Kriwinsky and sophomore Jamie Weiss (Chicago, IL/Francis Parker) set the tone early in doubles play, as the tandem swept their opponents in the top position. Kriwinsky and Jackson were nearly flawless at first and fourth singles, respectively, both winning 6-0, 6-0. Jackson and McDermott collected an 8-1 decision at second doubles, while Maris Madeira and sophomore Eden Gudonis (Manchester, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) doubled up the opposition in the third slot. Rounding out the singles portion of the match, Weiss won 6-2, 6-0 at number two and McDermott posted a 7-5, 6-1 straight-set outcome in the third position. Madeira and Gudonis also registered convincing straight-set decisions in fifth and sixth singles, respectively.

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