Box Score Verde registers two tallies apiece in victory
NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's soccer team won its third-straight match with a 5-1 triumph over Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Saturday afternoon in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) at Mirrione Stadium.
Wheaton sophomore Tess Weyburne (Maynard, Mass./Maynard) provided the game-winner in the 44th minute, while junior Gabriella Verde (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) had two markers and senior co-captain Kristina Braga (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) chipped in with one score to help the Lyons pick up their first conference win of the season.
WPI senior forward Megan Forti (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English) gave the Engineers a 1-0 advantage in the 11th minute firing a strike into the upper right corner of the net for her seventh goal of the year.
Wheaton responded with five unanswered goals to push its all-time lead in the series to 24-1-0, dating back to 1995. The Lyons outshot the Engineers 21-6 in the contest, while WPI held a slim 5-4 margin in corner kicks.
Verde evened the score at the 27:33 mark converting a penalty kick and Weyburne finished a feed by sophomore Julia Cipriano (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) right before halftime at 43:41 for her second-career goal and first-career game-winner.
Braga added an insurance goal just two minutes and 12-seconds later tapping home a free kick from junior Laila Razzaghi (Ringoes, N.J./Princeton Day School) to make it 3-1. After an own goal by WPI at 45:48, Verde capped the scoring with her second marker of the game at 56:03. Cipriano and Razzaghi both ended the day with two assists in the contest. Cipriano is now tied for the team lead with three helpers on the season.
Wheaton sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Thacker (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) made two saves to improve her record to 4-0-0 overall. WPI senior goalkeeper Maddie Willer (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) notched five saves in the loss.
The Lyons (6-3-1, 1-0 NEWMAC) travel to Keene State on Tuesday, October 1 for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference game. WPI (6-3-1, 0-2 NEWMAC) hosts Babson on Tuesday for a NEWMAC contest at 7 p.m.
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