NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team was defeated by host Smith College, 2-0, this morning in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at Smith Turf Field in Northhampton, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 3-4 on the season and 0-1 in league play, while the Bears improve to 4-3 and 1-0.

Smith maintained an 11-3 shooting advantage, including 9-2 in shots on the cage, despite Wheaton holding a 4-2 margin in penalty corners.

Both of the Bears' goals came in a span of less than four minutes of play midway through the third quarter. Senior forward Callahan Day (Shady Side, Md.) carried the ball down the left side and into the Lyons' defensive zone, where she spun around and fired a shot into the far right corner for the first marker of the day  with 10:24 left in the third quarter. Day's second score came just 3:47 later to double Smith's lead at 2-0. Day carried the ball into the circle, where Wheaton's keeper was able to jostle the ball free, but Day reclaimed the ball and blasted a shot from 15 yards out that found the back of the cage. The score was her seventh goal of the season with 6:37 remaining in the contest. 

The Lyons did have a few scoring chances with the first coming as the first quarter was winding down. Sophomore forward Ava Audette (Essex Junction, Vt.) sent the insert pass to the edge of the arc on a penalty corner, before receiving it back and unleashing a shot just wide of the left corner of the cage.

Wheaton junior forward Ally Slicer (Waterford, Maine) also looked to get on the board first with six and a half minutes left to go in the second quarter. The junior was able to take the ball away in Smith's defensive zone and got a shot off that was blocked by a defender, before collecting the rebound for a back-handed shot, but first year goalie Iseul Park (Ann Arbor, Mich.) was able to come off her line to meet the shot with a slide and keep the game scoreless.  

Junior keeper Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.) stopped seven shots for the Lyons, while Park made a pair of saves for the Bears.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, September 27 when it hosts Wellesley College on Nordin Field at 12:00 p.m., Smith returns to play on September 23 when it hosts Keene State College at 6:00 p.m.