CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team was defeated by host Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 20-10, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference action this evening at Jack Barry Field in Cambridge, Mass. The Lyons fall to 9-6 overall and 4-3 in league play, while the Engineers improve to 9-4 and 6-1.

MIT outshot Wheaton, 31-20, to convert on nearly two-thirds of its shots for goal in the game. The Engineers were active on the field, coming up with 23 ground balls to the visitors' total of 10.

Wheaton was led by senior attacker Darien Webb (Hamden, Conn.), who netted four goals and registered five draw controls. Sophomore attacker Avonlea LeBeau (North Branford, Conn.) also tallied four points with three goals and an assist to go with a ground ball. Junior Erin Ortega (Merrimack, N.H.) and senior Mia Murray (Kennebunk Maine) each netted a goal and recorded an assist. Ortega also added a ground ball, four draw controls and a caused turnover. Junior midfielder Brooke Harvey (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) scored a goal, picked up three ground balls and collected a game-high six draw controls. Junior goalie Emily Oundjian (Longmeadow, Mass.) turned back five of 23 shots in 54:53, while junior Emily Kelly (Nortwell, Mass.) allowed two goals in the final 5:07 of play.

Junior attacker Ellie Rabenold (Cincinatti, Ohio) tallied a game-high six goals and two draw controls for MIT, while junior attacker Lindsey Gabino (Garden City, N.Y.) registered five points with four goals and an assist and junior middie Emma Tauckus (Manhasset, N.Y.) scored four times, picked up two ground balls and won four draw controls. First year midfielder Sydney Pyon (Garnet Valley, Pa.) contributed with four ground balls, three draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers for the home team. Senior goalie Elena Boal (West Windsor, N.J.) made six saves for MIT.

Webb opened the scoring for the Lyons with a free position shot to give them a 1-0 edge with 12:20 showing in the opening quarter. The teams traded leads over the next five goals. Gambino matched for the Engineers, but Webb scored again to give the Lyons a 2-1 lead. Pyon knotted the score at 2-2, before Webb scored her third goal in the opening 10 minutes of the first period to give Wheaton a 3-2 edge with 4:31 showing on the first quarter clock.  MIT scored the final three goals of the quarter, including a marker from first year attacker Julianne Flusche (Ridgewood, N.J.) with just 49 ticks left to give the home team a 5-3 lead. 

The Engineers carried their momentum into the second quarter, scoring seven straight goals in the period to give them 10 unanswered goals, going back to the opening quarter. Tauckus scored twice during the run for MIT, which took a 12-3 advantage with 5:07 showing on the second quarter clock. LeBeau interrupted the string of goals for Wheaton on a feed from Ortega at 4:19 of the quarter to pull the Lyons to within 12-4 with 4:09 remaining in the half. The Engineers closed out the half with a pair of goals and scored the first three markers of the third quarter. Gambino and Rabenold each scored a goal at the end of the half and at the beginning of the new session to help the home team to its largest lead of the match at 17-4 with 10:48 to go in the match. 

Harvey scored at the 9:07 mark for Wheaton, before Rabenold matched her. LeBeau and Ortega tallied back-to-back goals to cut the deficit to 18-7 with 95 seconds left in the quarter. Rabenhold didn't hold back for MIT, scoring with just four seconds left in the third period to make it 19-7. LeBeau, Murray and Webb scored three of the four goals tallied in the game's fourth quarter for the Lyons. The goal for Murray was the first of her career. 

Wheaton returns to play on Saturday, April 23 when it hosts NEWMAC foe Springfield College at 1:00 p.m. on Nordin Field, while the Engineers head to Worcester, Mass. on the same day to play Clark University at 7:00 p.m.