Wheaton chosen to host seventh straight year of NCAA women's soccer tournament action, Lyons slated to face Husson in first round

November 6, 2006

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's soccer team was chosen to host its seventh straight year of NCAA Tournament action this coming weekend, as the Lyons welcome three visiting teams for the first two rounds on Saturday at Mirrione Stadium. Wheaton hosts Husson College on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., followed by Amherst College taking on Kean University at 1:30 p.m. The winners of Saturday's games play Sunday at 1:00 p.m., with the victor advancing to the sectional round.

Gaining entry into the NCAA tourney as an automatic qualifier, the Lyons are coming off their sixth New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship following a 3-0 shutout over Smith College in Sunday's title game. Wheaton brings a 20-1-1 record into the weekend and is ranked 10th in the country and second in the region according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Husson, which is 17-3-1 overall, captured the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) title with a 1-0 win over the University of Maine at Farmington. The Lyons and Eagles met in each of the previous two seasons, with Wheaton winning 7-0 in 2004 and 2-0 in 2005. Amherst, ranked 20th nationally and third in New England, earned an at-large bid out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). In a similar position, 12-4-2 Kean picked up an at-large bid out of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

After winning three of its first four games to begin the season, Wheaton has gone unbeaten in its last 18 contests, including posting a 2-0-1 mark during the NEWMAC Tournament. The Lyons defeated Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), 2-0, tied Babson College, 2-2 before posting a 4-1 triumph in penalty kicks, and blanked Smith after extended their regular season conference title streak to eight seasons. Wheaton's 18-game stretch is the fifth-longest streak in the program's 28-year existence and sits just two back from matching second place.

Tenth-year head coach Luis Reis has recorded one of the highest winning percentages among active Division III women's soccer coaches, as he enters this weekend five wins shy of 200 with an overall record of 195-29-7 (.859). The Lyons are 10-6-1 during NCAA Tournament play under Reis' tutelage, including a 6-3 record at home. The Blue and White has been difficult to beat at Mirrione, going 107-7-4 at home since October 1997. The Lyons have outscored opponents, 71-12 this season with 14 shutouts, averaging 3.19 goals while yielding 0.54.

Junior Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) and sophomore Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) lead the Lyon offense with 31 and 29 points, respectively. Earlier this season, Konopka became Wheaton's sixth women's soccer player to reach 100 career points, while Viscomi leads the team with 11 goals and five game-winners. Junior Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth) has 26 points and three game-winners, and seven other Lyons have added double-figure point totals thus far.

Junior co-captains Erin Davis (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) and Jenna Stiegler (Madison, WI/Middleton) are the staples of the Wheaton defense with 22 starts apiece. Davis, who was named NEWMAC Player of the Week today, has six assists and 10 points, while Stiegler has three goals and seven points. Goalkeeper duties are shared between juniors Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) and Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown). Cockburn is 9-0 with a 0.60 goals against average, and Kronenberg is 9-1-1 with a 0.51 GAA.

2006 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament Bracket

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