NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team suffered their first loss of the 2026 season at the hands of Vassar College as the Brewers took a 17-9 win from the Lyons on Thursday afternoon on Nordin Field. 

Wheaton falls to 4-1 with their first loss of the campaign, while Vassar improves to 4-0 to start the year.

Senior Jessica Chamberlin (Bow, N.H.) led the Lyons with four points, including a hat-trick of goals. The offensive output rewarded the senior with her 100th point of her Wheaton career. Fellow senior Natalie Bilodeau (Scarborough, Maine) was right behind her teammate with three points on two goals. First year Kaydie O'Neil (Sturbridge, Mass.) scored twice while sophomore Alexis Antonellis (Lyme, Conn.) and senior Bridget McDwyer (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) added a goal apiece. Junior goalkeeper Jenna Langan (Lincoln, R.I.) made eight saves over 50 minutes.

Three Brewers finished the day with four points. Sophomore Maddie Kaltsas (Minnetrista, Minn.) led her team with four goals, but senior Tess Billings (Deerfield, Ill.) matched her point total with three goals and an assist. Senior Karina Gyllenhaall (Beverly, Mass.) was the third Brewer with four points, scoring two times and adding two assists to reach the mark. Senior goalkeeper Maddie Busam (Summit, N.J.) stood tall in the crease, making 14 saves on nine goals allowed. 

Billings opened the scoring with a goal in the second minute of play. The early score seemed to propel the Brewers offense, as they ripped off three more goals, including another from Billings. With a 4-0 lead after just five minutes of play, the Lyons faced an uphill battle. Chamberlin was the Lyon to start the climb towards the Brewers as she scored a goal with six minutes left in the first for her 100th point with Wheaton. Bilodeau bounced a shot past Busam for the Lyons' second goal, putting them down 4-2 heading into the second quarter. 

Vassar scored four more unanswered goals to start the second, including a third score from Billings. Gyllenhaal picked up an assist and a goal of her own over the stretch, but O'Neil was able to score off of a late free-position shot to keep the score at 8-3 at halftime. 

Antonellis converted another free-position shot to start the second half scoring, and Wheaton was able to string together a run of their own. Chamberlin scored again with two minutes to go in the frame before O'Neil scored again with one second remaining. Trailing 9-6, the Lyons needed a big fourth quarter. 

Recognizing that need, Vassar pounced on the opening draw of the quarter and scored just 19 seconds into the frame. Kaltsas scored three more in the space of 90 seconds, and the Brewers added one more goal through sophomore Annabelle Tracy (Warwick, R.I.) to take a commanding 14-6 lead. Chamberlin and Bilodeau both found the back of the net to keep Wheaton's hopes alive, but there was simply not enough time to get back in the game. McDwyer made it a 17-9 game with 12 seconds to go, but the late effort came with too little time to build off of. Wheaton fell in their first loss of the season.

The Lyons will stay at home as they prepare for a game this Saturday against Springfield College at 1:00 pm on Nordin Field as conference play begins. Vassar stays in New England as they face Roger Williams in Rhode Island on Saturday at 1:00 pm as well.