Montoya turns in six-point contest with two goals and two assists

NORTON, Mass. – Behind a six-point effort from freshman Kaitlin Montoya (Placentia, Calif./Orange Lutheran), the Wheaton College women's soccer team shut out Emerson College, 7-0, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup at Mirrione Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Montoya got the offense going just 2:24 into play with her fifth goal of the season and the Lyons never looked back netting three markers in the first half and four more in the final stanza. Senior Kristina Braga (Lowell, Mass./Lowell), freshman Alexa Sanchez (Houston, Texas/Bellaire), junior Kelsee Howes (Maynard, Mass./Maynard), sophomore Julie Beyar (South Hempstead, N.Y./South Side) and junior Laila Razzaghi (Ringoes, N.J./Princeton Day School) also factored into the scoring column for Wheaton.

The Blue and White outshot Emerson 35-6 in the contest and won the corners matchup, 8-2, en route to claiming the victory in the first-ever meeting between the two squads.

Emerson senior goalkeeper Marissa MacDonald (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) recorded a game-high three saves, while junior starter Allie Altman (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake) and freshman Melanie Escobar (Torrington, Conn./Cheshire) stopped one shot apiece. Lyons' sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Wilson (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham) made two saves for her second shutout of the season and sixth of her career.

After Montoya put away Howes' rebound in the third minute, Braga finished a beautiful lofted cross into left corner of the box from junior Gabriella Verde (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) for a 2-0 advantage and her team-leading eighth goal of the season. Montoya capped the scoring in the first half heading home a cross by Razzaghi from the left flank.

In the second stanza, Sanchez netted her first-career collegiate goal on a short pass from Montoya from the right side of the box at the 49:09 mark for a 4-0 lead. Montoya then closed out her night on the scoresheet setting up Howes with a one-touch goal, her first of the season, in the 57th minute.

Beyar potted her second goal of the year in the 66th minute, while Razzaghi found the back of the net in the 82nd minute. Freshman Carina Thomas (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani) registered her first-career collegiate point on Beyar's goal and Tess Weyburne (Maynard, Mass./Maynard) and Sanchez collected helpers on the Lyons final marker of the game.

Wheaton (9-5-1, 4-1-0 NEWMAC) travels to Mount Holyoke College for a NEWMAC contest on Saturday, October 19 at noon. Emerson (6-7-1, 1-3-1 NEWMAC) visits Springfield College this Saturday for a conference clash at 1 p.m.

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