WORCESTER, Mass. — Senior midfielder Gabs Smart (Oakland, Maine) tallied a career-high six points, including four goals and the defense allowed just two goals in the final 22:39 of play to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team in a 14-13 victory over host Worcester State University at John Coughlin Field in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 1-3 on the season, while the Lancers dip to 3-2.
Worcester State owned a 37-28 shot advantage, but Wheaton's defense sharpened when it counted.
Junior attacker Jessica Chamberlin (Bow, N.H.) netted a trio of goals, including the eventual game-winning score for the Lyons, while senior Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) recorded four points with a goal and three assists. Senior defender Talia Banglmaier (Kennebunk, Maine) picked up a career-high nine ground balls. First year goalie Averie Walton (Cumberland, R.I.) earned the victory in relief for Wheaton, turning away four of five shots in 22:50 of action, while junior starting keeper Katie Geis (Duxbury, Mass.) stopped 14 of 26 shots in 37:10 of play.
Junior attacker Abigail Vincent (Lakeville, Mass.) and senior attack Abbie Wing (Griswold, Conn.) both collected four points with three goals and an assist for the Lancers. Junior midfielder Mckayla Fisher (Peabody, Mass.) contributed with a goal and an assist in addition to four ground balls. Senior goalie Olivia LaValle (Peabody, Mass.) registered eight saves.
Worcester State faced a 7-2 deficit before ripping off six unanswered goals to take its first lead of the game at 8-7 with 2:22 to go in the second quarter. Vincent netted a pair of goals during the run. First year midfielder Emma-Jane Parsons (Oakland, Maine) netted the final goal of the quarter to pull the Lyons even at 8-8 before the intermission.
Each team scored four goals in the third quarter with neither team leading by more than one goal during the period to set the score at 12-12 entering the final quarter of play.
Junior attacker Riley Kilbourn (Madison, Conn.) gave Wheaton the lead for good with a marker at the 4:31 mark to make it 13-12. Chamberlin tacked on what proved to be a pivotal insurance goal with 1:50 left in the game. Fisher found the back of the net just 16 ticks later for the Lancers to cut the deficit to 14-13, but it was as close as they would get for the match.
The Lyons scored the first three goals of the match with Smart giving them a 3-0 margin with 8:14 remaining in the opening quarter. Sophomore midfielder Kerry Brown (Billerica, Mass.) put Worcester State on the board with 4:49 to go in the period. Wheaton scored the final two markers of the quarter, including a score from Chamberlin to make it 5-1.
Junior attacker Molly Witkowski (Greenville, N.Y.) tallied the first marker of the second quarter for the Lancers, before Smart netted the next two goals in a span of 17 seconds to give the Lyons the largest lead of the night at 7-2 with 12:01 showing on the second quarter clock.
Wheaton returns to action on Wednesday, March 12 when it hosts Johnson & Wales University at 6:00 p.m., while Worcester State hosts Emmanuel College on March 13 at 6:00 p.m.
