2006 NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND - Wheaton sees 19-game unbeaten streak end in 3-0 loss to Amherst

November 12, 2006

NORTON, MA- Freshman Meg Murphy (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) scored the first two goals of the game as the Amherst College women's soccer team upended Wheaton College, 3-0 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Mirrione Stadium. The Lord Jeffs improved to 14-2-1 and avenged a 1-0 loss to the Lyons earlier in the season, while the Blue and White completed the fall with a 21-2-1 mark and saw its 19-game unbeaten streak come to an end.

Amherst advanced to next weekend's sectional round at a site to be determined later this evening. This was the teams' third NCAA Tournament meeting in the last six years, as the Lord Jeffs also won in 2001 before the Lyons took the 2003 clash.

Murphy tallied her first goal just 22 seconds into the contest, as Amherst controlled possession following its kickoff. Senior Lesley Pruzansky (Saratoga, CA/Menlo) sent a cross from the left side to Murphy, who knocked a shot from the slot into an open net for the eventual game-winner. She converted again in the 19th minute, catching up to a pass by sophomore Natalie Ferraiolo (Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto) and firing the ball into the left side of the net despite junior goalkeeper Stacey Kronenberg's (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) deflection.

Wheaton nearly got on the board less than seven minutes later, as freshman Kathleen Carroll (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz Central) got free at the top of the box and sent a shot toward the lower left corner of the net, but senior Piper Crowell (San Rafael, CA/Marin) stretched out and made a diving save. Junior Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) also nearly scored for the Lyons, missing wide left from 20 yards out two minutes later.

With less than six minutes left in the frame, Amherst tallied again. After taking junior Heather Nowak's (New Haven, CT/Choate-Rosemary Hall) pass and rushing up the left side to the endline, freshman Cami Farkas (Cambridge, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) rolled the ball back into traffic toward the top of the box, where sophomore Kathryn Bentley (Atherton, CA/Menlo) connected for the final goal.

Freshman Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) had Wheaton's best chance in the second half, but her touch near the goal line was turned away by an Amherst defender. Sophomore Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) had a pair of shots stopped by Crowell in the second half.

Wheaton ended the game with a 16-11 advantage in shots, while the Lord Jeffs held a 7-5 edge in corner kicks. Crowell made seven saves, while Kronenberg and junior Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) combined for two.

Amherst 3, Wheaton 0
SCORING 1st 2nd Final
Amherst (14-2-1) 3 0 3
Wheaton (21-2-1) 0 0 0

1st Half: AC- Meg Murphy (Lesley Pruzansky) 0:22, Murphy (Natalie Ferraiolo) 18:31, Kathryn Bentley (Cami Farkas, Heather Nowak) 39:14

Goalie Saves: WC- Stacey Kronenberg (45:00) 1, Elana Cockburn (45:00) 1; AC- Piper Crowell 7

Shots: WC- 16; AC- 11

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