SPRINGFIELD, MA- In a rematch of the 2008 New England Women's
and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament final, the
Wheaton College women's soccer team fell to Springfield College by
the same 2-1 score on Brock-Affleck Field on Saturday.
The Lyons, who are receiving votes toward the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national poll and are ranked
fourth in New England, saw their five-game winning streak - all
shutouts - come to an end in slipping to 12-2 overall and 3-1 in
the NEWMAC. Springfield, which is fifth in the region, is now 7-2-3
and 2-0-2.
In a contest between two teams that have combined for the past
nine league tournament crowns, sophomore Lindsay Leddy
(Warwick, RI/Wheeler School) made two saves for the Lyons,
while senior Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield,
MA/Marshfield) scored. Springfield sophomore Hanna
MacDougall (Warren, RI/Mount Hope) made four stops.
Despite holding a 12-10 edge in shots and recording five of the
six corner kicks in the game, the Lyons yielded the first two
goals. At the 16:49 mark, sophomore Katie Mantie
(Wallingford, CT/Lyman Hall) snapped Wheaton's shutout
streak at 492:31 before junior Brittany Collins (Vernon,
CT/South Windsor) made the score 2-0 just before the
half.
With less than 14 minutes remaining in regulation, Lyon junior
back Alessia Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North)
sent a breakout pass for McManus, who deposited her sixth marker of
the season at the 76:39 mark. Collins nearly gave the Pride its
two-goal lead back two minutes later but hit the crossbar, and
Wheaton pushed to tie with fewer than five minutes to go, but
sophomore Bailey Bowling (Littleton, CO/Littleton)
also skimmed the crossbar.
Wheaton returns home for its next two games, both NEWMAC
affairs, beginning with a Tuesday contest against Babson College at
3:30 p.m. The Beavers are sixth in New England.
