WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore forward Kate Wickenheisser (Oxford, Conn.) netted the lone Wheaton College (Mass.) goal in a 1-1 tie with the host Worcester State University women's soccer team this afternoon at Coughlin Memorial Stadium in Worcester, Mass.
The match was the season opener for both teams as they both sport identical 0-0-1 records following the contest.
The Lyons owned a 20-12 shot advantage, including 11-6 in the second half. Wheaton recorded a decided advantage in corner kicks with an 8-1 margin.
The first half was devoid of any scoring and sophomore keeper Patricia Bandrup (Poway, Calif.) did her part for the visiting Lyons. The Lancers looked to take an early lead when first year forward Lucy Watson (Blackstone, MA) streaked down the left side line and in the first of two nearly identical potential scoring plays. She tapped the ball to the right of the defense to connect for a shot on frame. Bandrup made a diving stop and later matched her effort, rendering Watson's second attempt futile with just two minutes remaining in the half to preserve a scoreless stanza.
Wickenheisser took advantage of some miscommunication among the Worcester State backfield to give the Lyons a 1-0 edge. The second-year player tallied the first marker of the season for the Lyons on a feed from first year forward Mackenna Reynolds (Longmeadow, Mass.) in the 51st minute of play. The helper was the first collegiate point for Reynolds.
Wheaton held a one-goal edge for just over eight minutes until senior Riley Patenaude (Pepperell, Mass.) found first year Ava Lemanski (Clinton, Mass.) for her first collegiate goal and the equalizer in the 60th minute of the match to knot the contest at 1-1 for the Lancers.
Bandrup finished the match with eight saves for the Lyons and was matched by first year keeper Ella Gumienny (Douglas, Mass.) with eight stops in her collegiate debut for WSU.
Wheaton returns to the pitch on Sunday, September 3 when it heads to Schenectady, N.Y. to take on Union College at 2:00 p.m., while Worcester State travels to play city rival Clark University on September 6 at 7:00 p.m.
