NORTON, Mass. – Junior midfielder Emma-Jane Parsons (Oakland, Maine) tallied the game-winning goal and assisted on another to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's soccer team over Fitchburg State University, 2-1, this afternoon at Mirrione Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons extend their unbeaten streak to three games and improve to 4-2-2 on the season, while the Falcons fall to 0-3-4.
Wheaton dominated possession of the match with 17 shots in each half for a 34-5 advantage for the game and held a 6-1 margin in corner kicks. The Lyons scored a goal in each half.
Parsons netted the eventual game-winning tally with a goal in the 56th minute of play to break a tie and give Wheaton a 2-1 lead.
Sophomore back Kaydie O'Neil (Sturbridge, Mass.) served a deep ball from the right side into the box, where the ball was knocked around before Parsons possessed it just outside the goal mouth. The junior drilled a shot past the FSU keeper and inside the left post for her second marker of the year and a one-goal Lyon lead.
Wheaton got on the board first in the opening half with a goal coming in the 23rd minute of action for a 1-0 edge. Parsons played the ball up the left side of the field, before serving the ball up the field to Camila Leiva (Warwick, R.I.), The sophomore forward carried the ball into the left post, drawing the keeper off her line, before she flicked a shot from her right foot and into the fair right side of the net for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
Fitchburg State's only goal of the match came off a free kick from the left side of the Lyons' defensive zone. Junior midfielder Kayla Prisley (Westbrook, Conn.) sent a cross into the goal mouth, where the ball deflected off a Wheaton defender and onto the foot of Julia Ferrandino (Upton, Mass.) in front of the goal line. The first year turned and deposited a shot into the back of the net on the right side for her first collegiate tally with just 3:26 to play in the opening half to pull the visitors even at 1-1.
Sophomore keeper Olivia King (Simsbury, Conn.) made one save for the Lyons, while senior goalie Madison Dawkins (Haverhill, Mass.) stopped four of five shots in the first half for the Falcons, before yielding to sophomore netminder Mia Herron (Mendon, Mass.), who turned away eight of nine shots in the final 45 minutes of action.
Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, September 26 when it hosts New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference rival Clark University (Mass.) at 11:00 a.m. at Mirrione Stadium, while Fitchburg State heads to Milton, Mass. to take on Curry College on the same day and the same time.
