SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team was shut out in the second and third quarters in an 18-4 loss to host Springfield College this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Stagg Field in Springfield, Mass.
The Lyons fall to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in league play, while the Pride win their seventh in a row to improve to 10-1 and 6-0.
Springfield owned a 33-16 shooting advantage and was a perfect 20-20 in clear attempts, while holding Wheaton to a 13-19 success rate. The Pride also won 17 of 24 draw controls.
The Lyons were paced by senior attacker Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) with a pair of goals to go with a ground ball and a draw control, while sophomore attacker Georgia Qua (Suffield, Conn.) and senior attack Sophie Gromala (Killingworth, Conn.) each netted a goal for the visitors. Senior midfielder Gabs Smart (Oakland, Maine) contributed with a game-high four ground balls and four caused turnovers in addition to three draw controls. Sophomore goalie Jenna Langan (Lincoln, R.I.) allowed seven goals in 32:11 of play, while first year Averie Walton (Cumberland, R.I.) stopped six of 17 shots in 27:49 of action.
Senior attacker Isabella Mazzi (Niantic, Conn.) led all players with four points, including three goals, to go with a ground ball for Springfield. Senior midfielder Samantha Andresen (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) tallied three markers, picked up a pair of ground balls, won two draw controls and caused a turnover, while sophomore middie Izzy Lalancette (Feeding Hills, Mass.) scored twice in addition to an assist and a caused turnover. Graduate student defender Hannah Hibbert (Center Harbor, N.H.) chipped in with a game-high six draw controls and added two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Graduate student keeper Kate Laico (East Meadow, N.Y.) stopped four shots.
Qua netted the first goal of the afternoon with 10:30 left to play in the opening quarter to give Wheaton a 1-0 edge. The good feelings were short-lived as the Pride scored 15 of the next 16 goals, including every marker in the second and third quarters. Junior attacker Lily Johnson (Oceanside, N.Y.) followed Qua's score with a pair of goals in a span of 30 seconds to give the home team the lead for good. Finnie found the back of the net to pull the Lyons within 3-2 with the final score of the quarter with 2:19 to go.
Springfield ripped off 12 unanswered goals, fueled by two each from Mazzi, Lalancette and Andresen, to take a 15-2 advantage with 54 ticks remaining in the third quarter.
Wheaton scored the first marker of the fourth quarter when Finnie netted her second of the day and 21st of the season, just 59 seconds into the final period. The Pride closed out the game with three of the final four goals with Gromala scoring the final tally for the Lyons.
Wheaton returns to action on Wednesday, April 9 when it hosts NEWMAC foe Salve Regina University at 7:00 p.m. on Nordin Field, while Springfield hosts Westfield State University on April 10 at 6:00 p.m.
