Lyons comeback bid falls just short

NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's soccer team, ranked No. 16 overall in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Preseason Poll, dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 2 Emory University on Sunday afternoon at Mirrione Stadium.

Senior center midfielders Kelly Costopoulos (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton Community) and Clare Mullins (Atlanta, Ga./Marist) both scored unassisted tallies for the Eagles to give the visitors the victory in their season opener. Wheaton freshman forward/midfielder Kaitlin Montoya (Placentia, Calif./Orange Lutheran) deposited her first career goal in a Lyons uniform in the 67th minute off a feed from sophomore forward Cat Amick (Vashon, Wash./Vashon Island) to round out the scoring.

Costopoulos gave Emory an early 1-0 lead in the 9th minute corralling a loose ball in the box and firing a shot into the upper right corner of the net tying her for eighth in school history in markers with 21.

Wheaton went into the half outshooting the Eagles, 8-6, recording one shot on goal during the first 45 minutes of play on a strike by sophomore forward/midfielder Julia Cipriano (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) in the 6th minute.

Emory tacked on its all-important insurance goal in the 66th minute as Mullins launched a shot from about 20-yards out into the top left corner of the net after gathering a loose ball off a throw in.

Wheaton responded 28-seconds later to cut its deficit in half, 2-1, on a through ball from Amick to Montoya in the center of the box. Montoya received Amick's pass from the right flank and chipped a shot over the leap of junior goalkeeper Gabrielle Pelura (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) to put the Lyons in the score column.

The Blue and White dictated the majority of play over the remaining 23 minutes outshooting Emory, 8-1, during that span and 12-2 total in the second half. Pelura made two saves during the 23-minute stretch for the Eagles in goal. Both teams were even in corner kicks, 3-3, while Wheaton outshot the opposition 20-8 in the contest.

Wheaton (0-2) travels to Salve Regina University on Saturday, September 7 at 1 p.m. Emory (1-0) visits UMass Boston tomorrow with first-touch scheduled for 1 p.m.

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