McManus' marker lifts Lyons over Clark, 1-0 in NEWMAC play

October 13, 2007

WORCESTER, MA- Sophomore Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) tallied off a 62nd-minute restart for the only goal of the game, and the nationally-ranked Wheaton College women's soccer team downed Clark University, 1-0 on Saturday in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest at Granger Field.

The Lyons, who are ranked ninth nationally and second in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), improved to 14-0-1 overall and 6-0 in league play. Wheaton is riding an 11-game winning streak and is undefeated in its last 30 regular season contests. Its 82-game NEWMAC unbeaten streak is the longest active conference run in the nation. With the loss, Clark fell to 6-6-2 and 3-3.

Wheaton dominated the scoresheet, racking up advantages of 20-2 in shots and 8-1 in corner kicks. Freshman Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) nearly scored early in the second half, but her shot clanged off the far post.

McManus netted her winner at 61:01, as freshman Colleen Liffers (Merrimac, MA/Pentucket Regional) touched the ball off a restart to McManus, who fired a free kick through the hands of Clark sophomore keeper Joanna Clark (Windham, ME/Windham). The marker was McManus' third of the season, two of which have been game-winners.

The Blue and White notched its ninth shutout of the season and has now yielded just seven goals in 15 contests. Senior Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) notched the win after making one second-half save in relief of classmate Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline), who went untested in the first half. Clark stopped 10 shots.

First-place Wheaton returns home to face third-place Babson College on Tuesday in a rematch of last year's NEWMAC Tournament semifinal, which ended in a 2-2 tie before the Lyons won a penalty-kick shootout. Action at Mirrione Stadium is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

SCORING: 1st 2nd Final
Wheaton (14-0-1, 6-0) 0 1 1
Clark (6-6-2, 3-3) 0 0 0

2nd Half: WC- Lyndsey McManus (Colleen Liffers) 61:01

Goalie Saves: WC- Elana Cockburn (45:00) 0, Stacey Kronenberg (45:00) 1; CU- Joanna Clark 10

Shots: WC- 20; CU- 2

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