Lyons off to best start in 11 years after 2-0 victory over Bridgewater State

September 19, 2006

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College field hockey team improved to 7-3 for the first time since the 1995 campaign, as the Lyons downed visiting Bridgewater State College, 2-0 on Tuesday at Clark Field. While finishing a stretch of five games in six days, Wheaton dropped the Bears to 2-3 overall. The Blue and White also won for the sixth time in its last seven meetings with Bridgewater State.

Wheaton held a lead for exactly 57 minutes against the Bears, as freshman Alex Block (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) tipped junior Sara Dimick's (Cumberland, ME/Greely) pass over Bridgewater State junior keeper Nicole Downs' (Hanover, MA/Hanover) right shoulder just 13 minutes in for her second game-winner this year.

Downs stood on her head to keep the Bears in the game, making a toe save of sophomore Lauren Henderson's (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) shot in the 18th minute and turning aside three Wheaton attempts during a scramble off a penalty corner with less than five minutes to go in the opening half. The Lyons held a 13-2 advantage in first-half shots, while Downs made nine saves.

With nearly 15 minutes remaining in regulation, Bridgewater State had its best scoring chance, as junior Courtney Sergio (West Bridgewater, MA/West Bridgewater) sent a shot on net that Wheaton senior keeper Mary Catherine Boll (Columbus, IN/Miss Porter's School) got her right foot on, and junior back Kim Anson (Washington, CT/Shepaug Valley) followed by sweeping the ball away from the goal.

The hosts iced the victory with 4:56 left, as Dimick picked up her second assist of the day when her pass across the goal mouth was converted by senior Rachel Sminkey (White River Junction, VT/Hartford) on the far post. The pair of assists pushed Dimick into a tie for the team lead at six, and she leads the squad with 22 points. Sminkey's goal was her team-best ninth of the season.

Wheaton outshot the Bears, 25-4 for the game while holding an 11-3 edge in penalty corners. Boll made two saves for her second shutout of the season and eighth of her career, and Downs turned away 13 shots in nearly 65 minutes before freshman Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) made one save in the final five minutes.

The Lyons open their eight-game New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) slate on Saturday with a home contest against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) at 1:00 p.m.

SCORING: 1st 2nd Final
Bridgewater State (2-3) 0 0 0
Wheaton (7-3) 1 1 2

1st Half: WC- Alex Block (Sara Dimick) 13:00

2nd Half: WC- Rachel Sminkey (Dimick) 65:04

Goalie Saves: WC- Mary Catherine Boll 2; BSC- Nicole Downs (65:04) 13, Andrea Bagley (4:56) 1

Shots: WC- 25; BSC- 4

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