Ryalls hands Lyons season-opening overtime victory

September 1, 2006

NEWPORT, RI- Junior Lyndsie Ryalls (Branford, CT/Branford) scored 3:25 into overtime to give the Wheaton College field hockey team a 3-2 victory over Salve Regina University in each team's season-opening contest on Friday at Lawrence Field. The game marked the fourth straight year the Lyons opened with an overtime contest, and the third straight such game against Salve Regina.

The Lyons broke out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals less than four minutes apart in the first half. Junior Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) tallied off of freshman Alex Block's (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) helper with 18:40 remaining in the opening stanza, and senior Rachel Sminkey (White River Junction, VT/Hartford) scored unassisted at 15:21.

The Seahawks regrouped in the second half to tie the score. Junior Caroline Galligan (West Newbury, MA/Pentucket Regional) put Salve Regina on the board 8:18 into the second period, and she knotted the game with 10:30 remaining in regulation off of classmate Whitney Bushee's (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) helper following a penalty corner.

In overtime, the hosts had a number of good opportunities, but Wheaton senior keeper Mary Catherine Boll (Columbus, IN/Miss Porter's School) stonewalled the Seahawks before the Lyons rushed downfield and scored on their only shot of overtime. The tally went down as the sixth game-winner of Ryalls' career. It also gave her 41 career points, tying her with Cara Collins '02 for 10th in program history.

Boll stopped 11 shots for the Lyons, while Salve Regina freshman Jessica Timpano (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) made two saves.

Wheaton continues its season-opening, three-game road swing tomorrow at Regis College at 1:00 p.m.

SCORING: 1st 2nd OT Final
Wheaton (1-0) 2 0 1 3
Salve Regina (0-1) 0 2 0 2

1st Half: WC- Sara Dimick (Alex Block) 16:20, Rachel Sminkey (unassisted) 19:39

2nd Half: SRU- Caroline Galligan (unassisted) 43:18, Galligan (Whitney Bushee) 59:30

OT: WC- Lyndsie Ryalls (unassisted) 73:25

Goalie Saves: WC- Mary Catherine Boll 11; SRU- Jessica Timpano 2

Shots: WC- 7; SRU- 14

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