WORCESTER, Mass. – Five different players scored multiple goals for the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team, including sophomore attacker Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.), who netted a game-high four goals to lead the Lyons to an 18-3 victory over host Clark University this afternoon in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at Granger Field in Worcester, Mass.

Wheaton improves to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 2-3 and 0-1.

The Lyons dominated possession with a decided 32-11 shot advantage that was fueled by Wheaton's 16-8 advantage on draw controls. The Lyons' suffocating defensive effort forced Clark into 14 failed clear attempts in 26 tries.

Wheaton scored the first 13 goals of the game, while holding the Cougars scoreless for the first 38:49 of play.

Finnie added two ground balls, a pair of caused turnovers and a draw control to her day for Wheaton, while junior attacker Avonlea LeBeau (North Branford, Conn.) tallied four points on two goals and two assists to go with three ground balls and a trio of draw controls. Senior attacker Jessie Kilburn (North Branford, Conn.) registered three points, including a goal and added four ground balls, three draw controls and four caused turnovers. Senior attacker Brooke Harvey (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) contributed with two goals, a match-best seven draw controls and three caused turnovers, while sophomore defender Gabs Smart (Oakland, Maine) picked up a game-high five ground balls in addition to a pair of caused turnovers. Starting goalie Emily Kelly (Norwell, Mass.) joined senior classmate Emily Oundjian (Longmeadow, Mass.) in holding Clark without a goal in the first and second quarters of play. First year netminder Katie Geis (Duxbury, Mass.) stopped three of six shots that she faced in the final 30 minutes of play for the Lyons.

Senior attacker Sophie Didier (Overland Park, Kan.) led the Cougars offense with a pair of goals on three shots in addition to a ground ball. Senior middie Elizabeth Liakos (Arlington, Mass.) tallied the other goal for the home team. Junior midfielder Greer McCarty (White River Junction, Vt.) picked up five ground balls, won a pair of draw controls and caused two turnovers, while junior defender Mary Greene (Leeds, Mass.) came up with four ground balls and a game-high five caused turnovers. Senior goalie Maddie Conners (Devon, Pa.) turned away nine shots.

The Lyons were held without a marker through the opening 8:07 of play, before Harvey, Finnie and LeBeau all scored in a span of 4:21 for the first quarter scoring and a 3-0 lead.

First year midfielder Sara Spielman (Norwalk, Conn.) found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal on a free position shot at the 8:07 mark of the second quarter to give Wheaton a 7-0 advantage. She was one of four Lyons to net their first collegiate goal in the match. First year attacker Riley Kilbourn (Madison, Conn.) followed with her first career score just 54 seconds later for Wheaton. First year attacker Natalie Bilodeau (Scarborough, Maine) capped the second quarter scoring with 3:06 left in the period for the Lyons and became the third player for the visitors to net their first respective collegiate goal in the period. Wheaton owned an 11-0 cushion heading into the intermission.

Harvey netted the first goal of the third quarter for the Lyons and junior attacker Logan Truluck (Bath, Maine) followed with her second goal of the season to extend Wheaton's margin to 13-0 with 9:44 remaining in the period.

Didier finally broke through for the Cougars at the 6:11 mark of the third quarter to make it 13-1.

The Lyons scored the final two goals of the quarter with scores coming from Kilbourn and senior defender Erin Ortega (Merrimack, N.H.) to give Wheaton a 15-1 lead after three quarters of action.

Sophomore attacker Caitlyn McMahon (Gainsville, Fla.) netted her first collegiate marker and the first goal of the final period with 13:28 to go on a free position attempt for the Lyons. Liakos followed with a marker for Clark at 10:45, before Finnie scored her team-leading 23rd goal of the year just 102 seconds later. Didier notched her second tally of the afternoon to pull the Cougars to within 17-3, before Bilodeau scored her second goal of the day with 4:07 to play in the contest.

Wheaton will be in action again on Wednesday, March 22 when it hosts Keene State College at 7:00 p.m., while Clark heads to Milton, Mass. on the same day for a 4:00 p.m. match with Curry College.