WORCESTER, Mass. — Senior attacker Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) tallied five points, including four goals, and sophomore goalie Jenna Langan (Lincoln, R.I.) allowed just five goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team over host Clark University (Mass.) 13-5, this afternoon in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at Granger Field in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons win their third straight to improve to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 2-4 and 0-1.
Each team attempted 27 shots and Wheaton overcame 17 turnovers, while Clark committed just eight miscues during the match.
Senior midfielder Gabs Smart (Oakland, Maine) also contributed for the Lyons, scoring three times on four shots, while adding an assist and a caused turnover. Junior attacker Riley Kilbourn (Madison, Conn.) netted three goals and caused a turnover. Langan registered nine saves for Wheaton.
Senior attack Aubrey Conners (Devon, Pa.) led Clark with a pair of goals, while first year midfielder Paige Kemish (Berlin, Conn.) chipped in with a goal and a caused turnover. Graduate student defender Lucy Szpila (Brattleboro, Vt.) topped the defense with a game-high five caused turnovers and added a ground ball. Senior keeper Annie Battle (Bozeman, Mont.) stopped eight shots for the Cougars.
Clark doubled up the Lyons in the first quarter to take a 2-1 edge, before Wheaton erupted for six markers in the second quarter, while holding its host scoreless. The Cougars again owned the odd-numbered quarter, outscoring the Lyons, 3-1, before Wheaton repeated its even-numbered quarter prowess by holding the home team without a goal again.
The Lyons faced a 2-1 deficit to open the second quarter, before ripping off six unanswered goals. First year midfielder Emma-Jane Parsons (Oakland, Maine) gave Wheaton the lead for good at 3-2 with her fourth goal of the season coming with 10:58 left in the quarter. The score sparked a string of four goals in a span of two and a half minutes for the visitors. Finnie tallied the final two markers of the period to increase the Lyons' lead to 7-2 before the intermission.
Clark scored three of the four goals in the third quarter, including a tally by Kemish on a feed from senior midfielder Meghan Fogarty (Melrose, Mass.) to pull the Cougars within 8-5 with 4:52 to go in the third quarter. It was as close as Clark would get for the remainder of the contest.
Wheaton held the Cougars scoreless for the final 19:52 of action, while scoring all five goals in the fourth quarter to take a 13-5 advantage. Finnie and Kilbourn each netted a pair of markers during the frame.
The Lyons return to action on Wednesday, March 19 when they host Emmanuel College (Mass.) on Nordin Field at 7:00 p.m., while Clark travels to Gorham, Maine on the same night to take on University of Southern Maine at 5:00 p.m.
