NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team fell
behind 3-0 to visiting Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
on Tuesday before dropping a 7-3 decision in New England Women's
and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Keefe Field.
Falling below the .500 mark, the Lyons are 5-6 overall and 1-2
in league play, while the Engineers extended their winning streak
to five games and improved to 8-3 and 2-1.
Wheaton had averaged 12.7 goals through its first seven home
games, as MIT knocked off the Lyons in Norton for just the third
time in 11 meetings, including during last year's NEWMAC Tournament
first-round game.
Three different Engineers scored in the first 9:50, with a pair
coming on free-position shots, to give the visitors a lead they
wouldn't relinquish. Wheaton senior Caitlin Grant
(Walpole, MA/Walpole) scored the first of her three goals
at the 16:40 mark of the opening half to make the score 3-1, but
sophomore Erica Little (Sherborn, MA/Saint Mark's
School) tallied MIT's third free-position goal 3:18 after
that.
Grant again found the back of the net, this time with 3:02 to
play in the first half, to bring the Lyons to within 4-2 at the
intermission, but the Engineers rattled off three straight to begin
the second stanza and hold a comfortable 7-2 advantage by the 17:45
mark. Little scored her second goal of the game, as did
freshman Katie Kauffman (Olney, MD/Sherwood).
Grant picked up the hat trick with 16:26 remaining and narrowed
Wheaton's deficit to 7-3, but the Lyons didn't threaten after that
as MIT maintained possession in the waning minutes. Wheaton
sophomore Marianna Marcellino (Milton, MA/Thayer
Academy) finished with 15 stops between the pipes.
In addition to Kauffman's and Little's two goals each, junior
Casey Flynn (Silver Spring, MD/Georgetown Visitation
Prep) recorded a tally and an assist for MIT.
Sophomore goalie Molly McCartin (Arlington,
VA/Yorktown) turned away six shots in net.
Wheaton plays in its final scheduled non-conference game on
Thursday against visiting Western New England College at 4:30 p.m.
