NORTON, Mass. - The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team held off the visiting MIT Engineers on Wednesday night, earning a crucial New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) win at Nordin Field. 

With the win the Lyons move to 8-7 on the season and 5-2 in the NEWMAC, while the Engineers fall to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in conference action. The victory also moves Wheaton into third place in the conference standings with just one NEWMAC game remaining for the Lyons. MIT falls to fourth. 

Brooke Sabol paced the Lyons with two goals and an assist, while Jenna Tewksbury also netted two goals for Wheaton. Tewksbury collected a game-high six draw controls, while also picking up a ground ball and causing a turnover. 

Allie Bush and Giovanna Bishop both scored a goal and earned an assist in the win. Ava Myette and Katherine Kowal each scored a single goal for Wheaton. 

Emily Young led the Engineers with two goals, while Katie Notarangelo scored a goal and had the teams only assist. Ashley Masucci and Kira Schott led MIT with three ground balls each, while Schott ended with a game-high four caused turnovers. 

Molly Witten earned the complete game win for Wheaton, coming up with eight saves on 14 shots faced. Eva Boal collected the loss for MIT after making six saves.

Wheaton dictated the pace from the first draw control, running off nearly five minutes from the clock before taking its first shot. Kowal put the ball away for the first goal of the game, before Bishop made it a 2-0 game for the Lyons with 20:23 on the clock. 

Young scored the first of her two goals with 17:53 to go in the half, cutting the MIT deficit to one. Tewksbury pushed the Wheaton lead back to two five minutes later with a free position goal. 

The two teams traded goals over the remaining time with Masucci pulling MIT within a single goal one minute before halftime. 

Leading 4-3 at the start of the second half, Wheaton tacked on another goal just second into the period with Bishop finding Bush. 

Kristyn Berretta of MIT made it a 5-4 game with 28:34 left to play after receiving a pass from Notarangelo. Wheaton responded with back-to-back goals by Sabol within two minutes of each other. Madison Cohen assisted on the first goal, while Bush picked up the assist in the second, putting Wheaton ahead 7-4. 

MIT responded later in the period with back-to-back goals of its own, once again pulling within one goal of the hosts. With time running out the Engineers began to press the Lyons, who were running down the clock, in hopes of getting the ball back. The press opened up space for Wheaton and allowed Tewksbury to net an insurance goal as time expired. 

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, April 24 at Bowdoin for a 12 p.m. match. 

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