Weekly Lyon

Field Hockey (14-7, 5-3) Falls in Conference Semifinals, Earns ECAC Tournament Bid

The Wheaton College field hockey fell to Springfield College, 4-1 on Saturday in its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament semifinal. The Lyons later earned an invitation to their first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament since 1995, and the second-seeded Blue and White will face number three Western New England College in a semifinal at Clark Field on Saturday. The winner advances to the final and will play the winner of the other semifinal between number one Endicott College and fourth-seeded Worcester State College.

During the semifinal round of the NEWMAC Tournament, held at Wellesley College, the third-seeded Lyons saw the trek toward their first NCAA Tournament since 1983 and initial conference tournament crown come to an end against number two Springfield, which eventually won its third straight league title on Sunday. The Pride, which is ranked 17th by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), took a 2-0 lead by halftime, but senior keeper Mary Catherine Boll (Columbus, IN/Miss Porter's School) averted further damage by turning away a penalty stroke. With Springfield leading, 3-0, senior Shea Clarke (Bellingham, MA/Bellingham) converted a stroke with 14:38 remaining, but the Pride tacked on another tally in the 63rd minute. Boll finished the game with 12 saves.

Men's Soccer (12-4-4, 5-1) Wins Sixth NEWMAC Crown, Draws Seventh NCAA Berth

The top-seeded Wheaton College men's soccer team went 1-0-1 over the weekend on Keefe Field, corralling its sixth NEWMAC Tournament title along the way and earning its seventh NCAA Tournament berth. In a Saturday semifinal, the Lyons and fifth-seeded United States Coast Guard Academy played 110 scoreless minutes before Wheaton advanced thanks to a 5-4 shootout victory. During the championship game, the Blue and White downed number two Babson College, 1-0. The victory was the 200th of 13th-year head coach Matt Cushing's career, as the Lyons won their second straight tournament title and sixth in the NEWMAC's nine-year history.

Wheaton will travel to Amherst College for the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, as the Lyons take on Western New England College. The teams met on September 12, when the Golden Bears notched a double-overtime win. Host Amherst and Westfield State College meet in the other first-round tilt, and the winners square off in the second round on Sunday.

The Lyons, ranked fifth in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), had more scoring chances than Coast Guard during their scoreless stalemate, as they outshot the Bears, 26-7. Senior keeper Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown) made a critical save with 38 seconds left in the second overtime, and the teams went to penalty kicks. Following a pair of Pachniuk saves during the shootout, the teams stood tied at four before junior Trevor Cote (Portsmouth, RI/Providence Country Day School) put the Lyons up by one. Pachniuk guessed right on Coast Guard's next kick, which could have forced another attempt for each team, making a diving stop to end the game. For the contest, Pachniuk finished with four saves.

Wheaton improved to 6-0 in NEWMAC Tournament championship games by downing Babson, which is ranked seventh regionally. The Lyons received a goal from Cote 12:17 into the game for the lone tally of the contest. Senior Dennis Durao (West Hartford, CT/Northwest Catholic) started the game-winning play by sending a cross into the box, where a Babson defender made contact and headed the ball backwards off the crossbar. After hitting the goal frame, the ball dropped and settled at the feet of Cote, who buried his second goal of the year and his first collegiate game-winner. Pachniuk made a sliding save as time expired in the first half, and his stop with 20 seconds left in regulation clinched the victory. Pachniuk posted his third straight shutout thanks to four saves.

Women's Soccer (20-1-1, 9-0) Earns Sixth NEWMAC Crown, Seventh NCAA Appearance

The top-seeded Wheaton College women's soccer team won its sixth NEWMAC Tournament title over the weekend in Mirrione Stadium, leading to the Lyons corralling an NCAA Tournament bid for the seventh consecutive season. The Blue and White tied number five Babson College, 2-2 in Saturday's semifinal before advancing thanks to a 4-1 shootout triumph. During Sunday's title game, the Lyons downed number three Smith College, 3-0 to extend their conference unbeaten streak to 76 games and their overall unbeaten streak to 18 contests.

Wheaton, which is ranked 10th nationally and second in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), will host the NCAA Tournament opening two rounds this weekend, as the Lyons take on Husson College on Saturday. Amherst College and Kean University square off in the other match, and the winners battle in Sunday's second round.

The Beavers threatened to snap the Lyons' NEWMAC undefeated streak before the hosts rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals during an 11:54 span midway through the second half. Junior Ashley Furr (Chicopee, MA/Cathedral) converted a rebound of freshman Lyndsey McManus' (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) shot during the 60th minute before junior Erin Davis (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) lofted a 72nd-minute corner kick that sophomore Jessica Bramucci (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham and Monson Academy) sent home for the game-tying tally. Davis later clinched the shootout victory with the Lyons' fourth goal. Junior keepers Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) and Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) combined for five saves during the game.

Following a scoreless opening half against Smith, Davis buried a 60th-minute shot from just outside the midfield circle for her first collegiate game-winner. Not even four minutes later, junior Katelyn Brack (Lake Oswego, OR/Oregon Episcopal School) headed home a corner kick from sophomore Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North). Junior Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) completed the scoring at 77:38. Cockburn and Kronenberg combined for two saves, with Cockburn earning the win.

Men's (3-0) and Women's (3-0) Swimming Both Stay Perfect, Finish Third at Relays

The Wheaton College men's and women's swimming and diving teams each defeated visiting Roger Williams University on Friday before placing third out of four teams at their annual Charlie Batterman Relays on Saturday in Balfour Natatorium. The Lyon men downed Roger Williams, 146-133, while the women won, 182.5-101.5.

Freshman Emily Sweatt (Portland, ME/Deering) shattered a pair of women's school records against the Hawks, including breaking a nearly nine-year-old 50-yard breaststroke mark by 0.65 seconds to win in a time of 32.45. During the 100 breast race, Sweatt set a new program standard by 1.23 ticks to win in 1:10.85, breaking her own record. Sweatt also swam a leg on the winning 200-yard medley relay team, joining juniors Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose), and freshman Iris Meehan (Bar Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island). Pratt, who secured wins in both the 50-yard butterfly and 50-yard freestyle, anchored the meet's top 200-yard free relay team. Pratt sided with Miller and seniors Kristen Behrens (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) and Cassie Bohn (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa).

The Lyon women compiled nine additional event victories, including eight swimming races and one diving competition. Sophomores Mandy Cumings (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville Community), Caitlin Glover (Durham, NH/Berwick Academy), Casey Shanley (Rumson, NJ/Suffield Academy) and Stacy Zickl (Wrentham, MA/King Philip Regional) won the 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard backstroke, 1,000-yard freestyle and one-meter dive events, respectively. Freshman Sarah Houlihan (West Springfield, MA/West Springfield) won the 200- and 500-yard free races, while classmates Stephanie Conelias (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire), Brenna Crothers (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) and Aurelie Marcotte (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) earned triumphs in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard free and 100-yard back events, respectively.

Senior All-American Barrett Roberts (Portland, ME/Deering) paced the men with three individual wins in the 50-yard backstroke, 50-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle, while leading off for the fastest 200-yard free relay team. He was joined by junior Yunuscan Tokcan (Providence, RI/Northfield Mount Hermon School), sophomore T.J. Sponzo (Simsbury, CT/Avon Old Farms) and freshman Max Polin (Deerfield Beach, FL/North Broward School). Polin and junior Joe Fowler (Farmington, ME/Mount Blue), who both teamed up with Sponzo and junior Matt Jordan (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth) on the top 200-yard medley relay squad, each won a pair of individual events. Polin was victorious in the 100-yard fly and 500-yard free, while Fowler took the 100-yard back and 200-yard free races. Rounding out the men's wins were Sponzo in the 50-yard free, Jordan in the 50-yard breaststroke, senior Zach Hicks (Bath, ME/Morse) in the 1,000-yard free and freshman Mike Koltz (Columbia, MD/Boys' Latin School of Maryland) in the one-meter dive.

During the Batterman Relays, a pair of women's teams notched victories. Meehan and Pratt each played a hand in the wins, as the duo joined Glover and Marcotte in the 200-yard backstroke and combined with Miller and Sweatt during the 200-yard medley. On the men's side, the 200-yard freestyle relay squad turned in a second-place showing, as Jordan, Polin, Roberts and Sponzo combined to finish less than two seconds out of first place.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 2/8/08.
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