NORTON, Mass. – Sophomore forward Ava Audette (Essex Junction, Vt.) scored the first three goals of her career to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team in a 5-0 victory over visiting Nichols College this afternoon in the home opener at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. 

The Lyons improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Bison fall to 0-3.

Wheaton held a 16-10 shot advantage, including a 15-6 shot margin through the first three quarters. The Lyons also outnumbered their opponents 8-1 in penalty corners.

Audette became the first Lyon to tally a hat trick since Anda Brown '23 and current teammate Ally Slicer (Waterford, Maine) each scored three goals in a 7-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on September 12, 2023.

The five goals by Wheaton as a team were the most goals scored in a match by the Lyons since a 5-1 victory over Fitchburg State on September 24, 2024. 

Wheaton's shutout win this afternoon marked two consecutive shutout victories by the Lyons for the first time since September 3, 2024 and September 7, 2024 when Wheaton posted shutout victories over Worcester State and Nichols College.

Sophomore midfielder Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) tallied a career-high four points with a goal and two assists, while tying a personal-best five shot attempts. Junior forward Hannah Fortin (South Dartmouth, Mass.) also added a goal, while Slicer recorded an assist. First year forward Katie Sirois (Greene, Maine) tallied her first career point with an assist.

Junior forward Sofia Calabro (Johnston, R.I.) led the Bison by tying a match-high five shot attempts.

The Lyons' lone tally in the first quarter came with 8:49 remaining in the first period. Wheaton's defensive pressure stifled the visitors in their backfield, which ultimately led to transition offense for the Lyons after a Bison turnover. The Lyons went on the offensive attack past the 23-meter line with Fortin who moved the ball across the field to Wilonski. Wilonski then went inside the shooting circle and ripped a shot into the back of the cage to take the 1-0 lead for the Lyons.

Wheaton was quick to strike again just 1:13 into the second quarter when the Lyons capitalized on their first of three penalty corners in the match. Fortin sent a cross into the shooting circle where the ball popped up off the stick of Wilonski and was tapped into the goal by Audette to give the Lyons a 2-0 advantage. Wheaton's defense, led by junior goalkeeper Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.) helped set up the Lyons offense for the final marker of the second quarter. Ferguson made a remarkable sliding save by rushing up to the top of the shooting circle to deny a shot attempt by first year forward Lily Gibson (Salem, Conn.) of Nichols. The Lyons then cleared the ball out of their defensive zone which led Sirois to connect on a pass with Audette in transition for her second goal of the match to give Wheaton a 3-0 lead with 4:35 remaining before intermission.

Early in the third quarter, the Lyons capitalized on their first of two penalty corners in under a two-minute span. After the initial shot attempt by Wilonski during the first penalty corner of the third period, the Lyons were able to get the ball off a rebound. Slicer sent a short-cross from the left side near the end line of the circle past the visitor's goalkeeper in which she connected with Fortin who tapped the ball in for the Lyons to take a 4-0 lead. During the next penalty corner for Wheaton, Wilonski fired the ball from the top of the circle which then went off the stick of Audette right in front of the goal line and into the cage to give Audette her first collegiate hat trick and the Lyons a 5-0 lead 7:02 into the quarter.

The best opportunity for Nichols came with under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Calabro and first year forward Gabby Couillard (Tewksbury, Mass.) each put a shot on target within an eight-second span, but both shots were turned back by first year goalkeeper Molly Braica (New Boston, N.H.).

Ferguson finished the match with three saves in 45 minutes for Wheaton, while Braica stopped three shots during the fourth quarter in her collegiate debut for the Lyons. First year goalkeeper Jessa Altemose (Randolph, N.J.) tallied six saves for the Bison.

The Lyons return to action on Tuesday, September 9 when they host the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 7:00 p.m., while the Bison host Anna Maria College on Thursday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m.