WORCESTER, Mass. - The Wheaton College women's soccer team hit the road for its season opener, taking on the Worcester State Lancers. First-year Katharine Chura's second half goal was enough to give the Lyons a 1-0 win over the Lancers on Thursday evening at John Coughlin Stadium.  

After a slow start to the match, Wheaton began to find its rhythm toward the end of the opening frame, rattling off four of its five first half shots in the final 10 minutes. 

Wheaton continued to assert itself on both sides of the ball in the second half, eventually breaking through in the 51st minute. The goal was setup after a shot by Aymara O'Brien-Pappalardo was saved by the Lancer keeper, but punched out of play. Caren McCarthy then took the corner kick that eventually found the feet of Sydney Ferrell, before being deflected to Chura. The first-year forward wasted no time turning on the ball, beating the Worcester State keeper. 

The Lyons had several more scoring opportunities down the stretch, forcing Vanessa O'Donnell to make three more saves. 

Overall, Wheaton held a 13-7 advantage in shots, while taking eight corner kicks to Worcester State's zero. 

Leann Wolf played all 90 minutes in net for the Lyons, making two saves, while O'Donnell made six saves for the Lancers. 

Wheaton returns to the field on Saturday, Sept. 3 for its home opener, where the Lyons will host Bridgewater State at 12 p.m. 

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