PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior forward Hannah Fortin (South Dartmouth, Mass.) potted a career-high two goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team over host Johnson & Wales University (R.I.), 3-1, this evening at Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex in Providence, R.I.
The Lyons have won three of their last four and improve to 6-5 on the season, while the Wildcats fall to 6-4.
Despite being outshot, 24-14 and 13-7 in shots on cage, Wheaton made the most of its chances during the night. The Lyons held a 7-6 edge in penalty corners.
Fortin tallied both of her scores in a span of 75 seconds in the final three minutes of the second quarter, while first year defender Sadie Tranter (Simsbury, Conn.) notched her first collegiate goal for Wheaton. Junior keeper Elise LeBlanc (Hampstead, N.H.) stopped both shots she faced in the opening half, before yielding to sophomore goalie Molly Braica (New Boston, N.H.), who turned away a career-high nine shots, while allowing a marker in the final 30 minutes of play.
Sophomore forward Izzy Paes (West Roxbury, Mass.) scored the lone goal for JWU, while senior forward Emily Downing (Plymouth, N.H.) led all players with 10 shots. Senior goalie Sophia Brea (Windham, N.H.) registered four saves for the home team.
Fortin's first goal of the night came off a penalty corner. Junior midfielder Kelsey Thompson (North Attleboro, Mass.) sent the insert pass to sophomore defender Carys Mitchell (Holderness, N.H.), who fired a shot from the top of the arc. Fortin was there for the deflection, lifting the shot into the back of the cage with just 2:57 remaining in the first half for the Lyons. Fortin's second tally was also off a deflection. Wheaton junior forward Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) lifted a shot from just inside the top of the arc and Fortin augmented the shot in the air for her sixth goal of the season and a 2-0 Lyon lead with 1:42 showing on the second quarter clock.
The Wildcats looked to crack the scoring column early in the third quarter, but Braica was up to the challenge, denying five shots off a penalty corner in a span of 24 seconds to keep Wheaton's shutout intact. The Lyons survived another offensive barrage by the home team, blocking three shots, while Braica stopped two others in a span of 42 seconds midway through the third quarter. Wheaton's defense held strong in the quarter, despite being outshot, 12-5.
The Lyons' offense continued their trend of scoring late in the quarter with another tally coming with just 74 ticks to go in the period. Wilonski unleashed a shot in front of the cage, but it was stopped by the JWU keeper. Tranter was there for the rebound and sent a high looping shot out of the reach of the Wildcat keeper and over the goal line for her first collegiate goal to give Wheaton a 3-0 margin.
The Wildcats took all six shots in the fourth quarter and finally broke into the scoring column just over five minutes into the quarter to make it 3-1. Senior midfielder Rayne Millett (Lynn, Mass.) carried the ball down the right side to the endline, before sending a centering cross to Paes, who slapped the shot into the back of the cage for her fifth goal of the year with 9:50 left to play in the contest.
Johnson & Wales put the pressure on the Lyons in the final 93 seconds, attempting five shots, but Braica came off her line to make a pair of saves and first year midfielder Mira Gerardi (Brewster, Mass.) recorded a defensive save.
Wheaton returns to the turf on Saturday, October 10 when it hosts New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference rival Clark University (Mass.) at 12:00 p.m., while the Wildcats host Nichols College on the same day at 6:00 p.m.
