Weekly Lyon

Field Hockey (2-0) Opens Second Straight Season with Two Wins Due to Offensive Burst

The Wheaton College field hockey team began a season 2-0 for the second straight year, first downing Salve Regina University, 4-3 in double overtime on Friday before subduing Regis College, 13-0 on Saturday. The Lyons matched the highest goal total and largest margin of victory in all of NCAA field hockey this season during Saturday's contest. Entering the weekend, only two players in program history had ever scored four times, but senior Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) turned the feat on Friday before freshman Haley Chrisos (Beverly, MA/Bishop Fenwick) followed suit on Saturday.

Dimick's winner 31 seconds into the second overtime period lifted Wheaton past visiting Salve Regina. The contest marked the fifth consecutive season in which the Lyons began the year with an overtime affair, and the fourth straight Wheaton home opener that was decided by one goal. Dimick scored the first goal of the game before knotting the contest at two during the 52nd minute, and then at three in the 62nd minute off senior Ashley Miller's (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) assist. Dimick converted classmate Lyndsie Ryalls' (Branford, CT/Branford) pass in overtime, becoming the first Lyon to score all four of her team's goals in one game. Freshman Cameron Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) finished with 11 saves in her college debut.

Against visiting Regis, the Lyons matched the program's scoring record by halftime, as they led 9-0 before tacking on four second-half tallies. Chrisos led the way with four goals, while Ryalls and junior Alisa Ardito (Branford, CT/Branford) each scored twice and had three assists. Freshman Julia Atwood (Concord, MA/Brooks School) netted her first collegiate goal and finished with a hat trick, while Miller and freshman Margaux Bolte (Belmont, MA/Belmont) each had a goal and an assist while finding the back of the cage for the first time in their respective careers. Abel picked up her second win by going untested in the opening 35 minutes, while sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) also did not have to make a save during one half of action. The Lyons held a 51-1 advantage in shots.

Wheaton already has 17 goals in two games after last year's team, which set the program's single-season scoring standard with 59 goals, needed five contests to reach that mark. Dimick remains second in program history in career points (69) and goals (27) and fifth in assists (15), while Ryalls is third in each points (65), goals (24) and helpers (17). Ardito joined the top 10 for points, as she is currently tied for ninth (46) while holding down fourth in assists (16).

Men's Soccer (1-1) Splits a Pair at Randolph-Macon Kick-Off Tournament in Virginia

The Wheaton College men's soccer team opened its season by splitting a pair of games at the Randolph-Macon College Kick-Off Tournament in Virginia over the weekend, downing the hosts by a 2-1 count on Saturday before falling to Virginia Wesleyan College, 4-1 on Sunday. Freshmen Eric Driscoll (Lexington, MA/Lexington), Yuri Moreira (Marlboro, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) and Josh Solomon (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) were named to the all-tournament team.

Moreira scored twice in a 2:37 span of the second half to lift the Lyons past Randolph-Macon, pushing Wheaton's record to 16-1-2 all time in season-opening games. Moreira netted his first collegiate marker with 21:59 remaining in regulation off assists from Driscoll and freshman Jake Wagner (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) before later deflecting home a Driscoll shot to make it 2-0. Freshman Chris Smart (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) made two saves.

Wheaton scored first against Virginia Wesleyan before falling. Senior Reed Hollett (Bedford, Nova Scotia/Halifax Grammar School) headed home a corner kick offering from classmate Dan Chong (Miami, FL/Coral Reef) at 32:18 for the game's first score, but the Marlins countered just 1:05 later and went on top for good 2:28 after that. Freshman Cole Davidson (Needham, MA/Salisbury School) was credited with four saves in his collegiate debut.

Women's Soccer (2-0) Begins 2007 Campaign with Pair of Home Victories

The Wheaton College women's soccer team, which is ranked 19th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll, opened the 2007 campaign with a pair of home victories, downing Simmons College, 9-1 on Friday before rallying past Worcester State College, 3-1 on Sunday. The Lyons have won nine straight season openers and are 15-0-1 in their last 16 home openers.

Against Simmons, Wheaton broke out of a 1-1 tie with eight straight goals during a 58:53 span, as the Lyons equaled the fourth-highest scoring output in program history. Senior Ashley Furr (Chicopee, MA/Cathedral) and junior Jessica Bramucci (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham and Monson Academy) each had two goals and an assist, while freshman Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Loomis Chaffee School) tallied two markers in her first college game. First-year Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) had a goal and an assist, while junior Bailey Edwards (Austin, TX/Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) and sophomore Katie Watson (Langley, WA/South Whidbey) each scored, with Watson's going as the winner on her first career tally. Senior keepers Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) and Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) each played 45 minutes.

Alvarez and Hough scored 2:03 apart during the second half to bring Wheaton from behind and into the lead against Worcester State. Down 1-0, the Lyons tied the contest when Alvarez scored at 61:50, and Hough gave them the lead at 63:53. Junior Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) finished with a goal and an assist, while sophomore Rosie Levy (Torrance, CA/Chadwick School) had two helpers. Kronenberg earned the win after making three second-half saves in relief of Cockburn, who turned aside two shots in the first stanza.

Senior Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth) remains seventh at Wheaton in career points (81) but moved into a tie for eighth in assists (27). Kronenberg is third in career victories (47), while Furr is two assists short (23) of joining Wheaton's top 10 and six points shy (57) of the top 10.

Women's Tennis (2-0) Yields Only One Game During Opening Two Matches of Season

The Wheaton College women's tennis team opened the season with a pair of victories, downing visiting Salve Regina University, 9-0 on Friday before turning aside homestanding Simmons College, 8-1 on Saturday. The Lyons have won six straight matches dating back to the spring season.

Against Salve Regina, four freshmen won in both singles and doubles during their college debuts. The Lyons yielded a total of seven games during doubles action, as freshmen Sarah Geocaris (Newport Beach, CA/Sage Hill School) and Catherine Teague (Manchester, NH/Central) won at the first spot, senior captain Maya Milic-Strkalj (Philadelphia, PA/Friends' Central School) and sophomore Katherine Knies (Purdys, NY/North Salem) teamed in the second position, and first-years Chelsea Cordes (Jamestown, RI/North Kingstown) and Ellen Van Faasen (Manchester, MA/Manchester Essex Regional) were victorious at number three. Each of Wheaton's six singles players won in straight sets, as Cordes, Geocaris, Knies, Milic-Strkalj, Teague and Van Faasen were triumphant.

Wheaton downed Simmons, which advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament, thanks to a doubles sweep and five singles wins. Geocaris and Teague blanked their top doubles foe, while the tandems of Knies and Milic-Strkalj and Cordes and Van Faasen won at two and three, respectively. Geocaris, Knies, Teague and Van Faasen swept their singles matches, while Milic-Strkalj fought to a three-set win.

Women's Volleyball (4-1) Finishes Second at Regis Invitational, Matches 2006 Win Total

The Wheaton College women's volleyball team opened its season by going 4-1 during a second-place finish among six teams at the Regis College Invitational. On Saturday, the Lyons downed Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), 3-2 (30-18, 30-19, 17-30, 22-30, 15-12) and Worcester State College, 3-1 (30-27, 17-30, 30-24, 30-22). During Sunday's action, the Blue and White defeated Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), 3-0 (30-22, 30-14, 30-20) before dropping a 3-2 (32-30, 30-20, 25-30, 28-30, 10-15) affair against Mount Ida College, which competed in last year's NCAA Tournament. Wheaton rebounded with a 3-0 (30-13, 30-23, 30-27) sweep against Regis.

Freshmen Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) and Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) were named to the all-tournament team for the Lyons, who matched their 2006 win total over the weekend and started 3-0 for the first time since 1996.

The Lyons opened the season with a five-set thriller against WPI. Rose had a memorable college debut with 35 assists, seven digs and eight service aces, tying for the fifth-most single-match aces in program history. First-year Rae Bradley (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) turned in a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs, while classmate Natasha von Sonn (Burbank, CA/Burbank) nearly followed suit thanks to 11 kills and nine digs. Hunt had 22 digs.

Wheaton handily downed Worcester State behind Bradley's 13 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) had 12 kills, while Hunt added 27 digs while duplicating Rose's opening-match feat of eight service aces. Rose recorded 35 assists and five aces.

During Wheaton's opening contest on Sunday, the Lyons used balance to subdue the Trailblazers. Bradley had 12 kills and eight digs, von Sonn added 11 kills and eight digs, and Kraus contributed nine kills, five aces and three blocks. Rose notched 34 assists, while Hunt contributed 16 digs.

Against Mount Ida, Hunt notched the third-highest dig total in program history with 40, the most since Melissa Jamin '03 had 41 on October 14, 2000, while Bradley tallied 21 kills and 19 digs. Von Sonn contributed 12 kills and 22 digs, Kraus had seven blocks, while Rose finished with 41 assists.

The Lyons completed the tournament against Regis. Seven different players had multiple kills, led by Bradley's six. Hunt recorded 25 digs, Rose finished with 10 assists, and freshman Jill Boucher (Riverside, RI/East Providence) added nine.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 9/3/07.
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News

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Women's Tennis: Geocaris and Teague draw weekly tennis honors from NEWMAC (more)