SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The number six seed Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team ended its season with an 18-1 loss to third-seeded Springfield College in the opening round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Stagg Field in Springfield, Mass.
The Lyons finish their season with an 8-9 record, while the Pride improve to 14-3 and will advance to the NEWMAC Semifinals to face number two seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 30 at 6:00 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass.
Springfield held Wheaton without a goal in each of the first three quarters and tallied eight goals in the opening quarter to set the tone for the afternoon. The Pride owned a commanding 34-14 shot advantage and held the Lyons to a 14-22 success rate in clears. Springfield nearly doubled up on Wheaton with a 27-14 ground ball advantage and won 13 of 21 draw controls.
Senior attacker Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) netted a goal and added a ground ball to lead the Lyons and finished her career with 148 goals to rank sixth on the program's all-time goals list, while standing seventh with 192 points. Senior midfielder Gabs Smart (Oakland, Maine) picked up a ground ball and won four draw controls. Junior midfielder Sara Spielman (Norwalk, Conn.) collected three ground balls and caused a turnover. First year goalie Averie Walton (Cumberland, R.I.) allowed four goals in the opening 3:38 of play, before giving way to sophomore Jenna Langan (Lincoln, R.I.), who stopped nine of 23 shots in the final 56:22 of action.
Junior attacker Lily Johnson (Oceanside, N.Y.) and senior midfielder Samantha Andresen (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) each scored four times to lead the Pride offense. Johnson also added a ground ball and caused a turnover. Senior attacker Lauren Ronai (Orange, Conn.) contributed with two goals and a pair of assists and graduate student middie Maddie Roy (Wilbraham, Mass.) picked up two ground balls, caused a turnover and won three draw controls. Graduate student keeper Kate Laico (East Meadow, N.Y.) made six saves for Springfield.
Johnson scored four goals, including the last three markers of the opening quarter, to give the Pride an 8-0 margin after one quarter of play.
Sophomore attacker Kristyn Vasselin (Hudson, Mass.) closed the second quarter with a pair of goals for Springfield to increase the home team's advantage to 12-0 at the intermission.
Senior attacker Isabella Mazzi (Niantic, Conn.) netted the third and final marker of the third period to inflate the Pride's cushion to 15-0, heading into the final quarter.
Lilly Vey (Foxboro, Mass.) tallied her 20th goal of the year at the 11:14 mark to open the fourth quarter scoring for Springfield, before Wheaton broke into the scoring column when Finnie found the back of the net for her 28th goal of the season to make it 16-1 with 7:33 showing on the fourth quarter clock. Andresen and Ronai capped the day's scoring with a goal each for the Pride.
