NORTON, Mass. – Sophomore forward Gia Marotta (Lynnfield, Mass.) scored a pair of goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team to a 5-1 victory over visiting Clark University (Mass.) this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons extend their win streak to three in a row and have won four of their last five to improve to 7-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, while the Cougars drop to 5-7 and 0-5.
Wheaton paid tribute to its seven seniors on Senior Day. Kenzie Clyatt (Newburyport, Mass.), Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.), Hannah Fortin (South Dartmouth, Mass.), Maddie LaBreck (Rollinsford, N.H.), Sophia Newcomb (West Yarmouth, Mass.), Ally Slicer (Waterford, Maine) and Maria Worden (Burlington, Vt.) were all recognized for their contributions to the Lyons' program.
Wheaton dominated play, out-shooting its guests by a count of 33-7, including 17-2 in shots on goal. The Lyons were awarded a season-high 15 penalty corners to Clark's total of seven.
The Lyons scored within the first three minutes of every quarter during the match. Junior forward Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) also tallied multiple points for Wheaton with a goal and an assist. Fortin and Slicer joined Marotta and Wolinski with goals on the day for the home team, while Ferguson made one save in the cage.
Sophomore defender Camilla Lennon (Mansfield, Mass.) potted the lone goal for the Cougars. Senior Rachel Reiter (Millburn, N.J.) stopped 11 shots for Clark.
The Lyons scored just 97 seconds into the game to give Wheaton a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the match at 1-0. Slicer carried the ball down the right side and into the goal mouth, before flipping a back-handed shot through the pads of the Cougar keeper for her second score of the season.
Wheaton doubled its lead with a marker coming midway through the period off a penalty corner. Wilonski fired a shot from the top of the arc that Marotta re-directed in the air and into the back of the cage with 6:37 left in the quarter.
The Lyons wasted no time adding to their margin with a goal coming just 27 ticks into the second period for a three-goal lead. Wilonski sent the ball into the goal mouth, where Fortin collected the ball and pulled it to her right for a shot into the right post for her seventh goal of the season.
Clark broke into the scoring column with 1:52 left in the opening half to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Cougars took advantage of a penalty corner when sophomore forward Sedona Lee (Windham, N.H.) sent the insert pass to classmate Katelyn Towne (Chelmsford, Mass.) at the top of the arc. Towne slipped a cross to Lennon on the right side, before she sent a rocket just inside the right post for her second marker of the year and the Cougars' first goal.
Wheaton continued its trend of scoring in the early minutes of a quarter with its fourth score coming 1:42 in the third period to make it 4-1. Junior midfielder Kelsey Thompson (North Attleboro, Mass.) looked to lift a shot over the Clark keeper in the goal mouth, but Reiter batted the ball down. Wilonski tracked down the long rebound and uncorked a shot that skipped off the chest protector of the Cougar netminder and into the back of the cage for Wilonski's team-high ninth goal of the season. The marker was also the 23rd of her career to place her 10th on the Blue and White's all-time list, tied with Alex Block (2006-09).
Marotta's second goal was her sixth of the year and gave the Lyons a 5-1 lead with 12:48 remaining in the contest. Worden carried the ball to the end line on the right side, before sending a centering cross to Marotta in the left slot for her second tally of the day and Wheaton's season-high fifth of the game.
The Lyons return to action in less than 24 hours, hosting nearby Bridgewater State University tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. on Nordin Field, while Clark travels to Keene, N.H. on October 14 to take on Keene State College at 6:00 p.m.
