NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team held No. 16 Endicott College scoreless in the final 48 minutes, but fell, 2-1, this evening at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons dip to 3-2 on the season, while the Gulls, who are ranked in the most recent National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, improve to 4-2.
Endicott dominated possession with a 24-4 shot advantage, but were held scoreless by the Wheaton defense for the final 47:50. The Lyons faced 17 shots, including 13 on frame, in the final three-plus quarters of play without allowing another marker. The Gulls also held an 8-3 margin in penalty corners.
Endicott scored the only two goals of the first quarter in the opening 12-plus minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Wheaton attempted just two shots in the second half with both coming in the third quarter, including its only tally of the match.
Junior Elise LeBlanc (Hampstead, N.H.) stopped all nine shots she faced in the final 45 minutes of play for the Lyons to establish a career best. Senior defender Maddie LaBreck (Rollinsford, N.H.) registered a pair of defensive saves for Wheaton as well. Senior netminder Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.) turned away two of four shots in the first quarter of play for the blue and white. Junior keeper Faith Minickene (Madison, Conn.) made one save for the visitors.
Junior midfielder Elena Govoni (Walpole, Mass.) put the Gulls on the board when she collected a loose ball in the right slot and deposited a shot into the vacant right side for her first marker of the year with 7:13 left in the first period of play.
Endicott doubled its advantage with a goal coming with just 2:50 remaining in the quarter. Graduate student midfielder Abby Antonelli (Worcester, Mass.) fired a shot that was stopped by the Lyon keeper in front of the cage, but Antonelli's rebound try ricocheted up and over the Wheaton goalie for the Gulls second marker of the night and a 2-0 margin.
The Lyons cut the deficit in half in the third quarter with less than three minutes left in the period. Junior forward Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) wound up for a backhanded shot on the left side, that was re-directed in front of the cage by senior forward Hannah Fortin (South Dartmouth, Mass.) for her third goal of the campaign with 2:59 showing on the third quarter clock. It was the last shot of the match for the home team, despite putting pressure on the EC defense in the final minutes of the contest. Endicott attempted the final five shots of the night, including four on goal, but the Wheaton defense held strong.
The Lyons will be in action again when they host Smith College on Saturday, September 19 to open the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference slate at Noon on Nordin Field, while the Gulls head to Hartford, Conn. on the same day to play University of Hartford at 12:00 p.m.
