SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team dropped a 2-0 decision in its season opener to host Western New England University this evening at Golden Bear Stadium in Springfield, Mass.
The Lyons dip to 0-1, while the Golden Bears improve to 1-0 in the season starter for both squads.
The teams took turns controlling possession in each half with the only difference being Western New England managing to score on two of its chances. The Golden Bears owned an 11-2 shot advantage in the opening half with Wheaton attempting just one shot in each of the first two quarters.
The Lyons flipped the script in the second half, dominating the ball with the benefit of nine penalty corners, including six in the third quarter. Wheaton held Western New England to just one shot in the second half, which came with 6:10 remaining in the contest, following 23:50 of play without an attempt in the second stanza. Meanwhile, the Lyons fired seven shots, but were unable to break through for their first score of the season.
The Golden Bears opened the scoring with 2:21 left in the opening quarter to take a 1-0 edge. Senior forward Kara Edwards (Enfield, Conn.) fed junior forward Kayla Antonelli (Upton, Mass.), who ripped a shot from 12 yards out on the right side that whistled past Wheaton's keeper, who was camped five yards in front of her line, and into the right side of the cage.
Western New England doubled its lead with no time left on the first half clock when senior defender Haley Kaczka (Granby, Conn.) lifted a penalty stroke into the upper right corner of the cage to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. It was the last shot for the Golden Bears for nearly 24 minutes of play.
The Lyons' best opportunity to score in the first quarter came midway through the period when junior Ally Slicer (Waterford, Maine) lifted a long pass over midfield to senior Riley Levrault (Lakeville, Mass.), who carried the ball into the left slot. Sophomore goalie Alex Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.) made the first of three saves on the night when she rushed off her line with a feet-first slide to meet Levrault and snuff out her attempt.
The Wheaton defense held Western New England without a shot in the third quarter, while its offense possessed the ball in the home team's defensive zone for most of the quarter. The Lyons' first penalty corner was awarded just 55 seconds into the period and began a trend that lasted over the next 12-plus minutes of action. Wheaton looked to get on the board with 1:50 left in the quarter when sophomore midfielder Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) uncorked a shot from the left corner during a penalty corner, but junior midfielder Analise Trani (Norwalk, Conn.) blocked the attempt for the Golden Bears to keep the blank sheet intact.
The Lyons were awarded three more penalty corners in the fourth quarter and made the most of the situation midway through the period when senior defender Abby Miller (Andover, Mass.) fired a shot from the left slot that was deflected in front of the cage. Wheaton looked to collect the loose ball in the scrum, but Tardugno and the Western New England defense were active in the scramble to do enough to keep the ball out of harm's way.
Wilonski finished with three shots to lead the Lyons, while junior keeper Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.) turned away four shots.
Wheaton returns to play on Tuesday, September 2 when it heads to Worcester, Mass. to take on host Worcester State University at 7:00 p.m., while the Golden Bears host Westfield State University on September 3 at 7:00 p.m.
