Lyons tie program wins records and clinch third seed in NEWMAC Tournament behind 4-0 victory at Mount Holyoke

October 21, 2006

SOUTH HADLEY, MA- Junior Sara Dimick's (Cumberland, ME/Greely) second hat trick of the season propelled the Wheaton College field hockey team to a 4-0 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Mount Holyoke College on Saturday, as the Blue and White tied the program's overall and conference victories records.

At 13-5 overall and 5-2 in the NEWMAC, Wheaton clinched the third seed in the upcoming conference tournament and will host in the first round for the first time since 1997. The Lyons also won 13 games in 1991 and 1983 while earning five league victories one other time, in 1995 as members of the New England Women's Eight (NEW 8). Mount Holyoke fell to 5-11 and 2-5 and is still in position to nail down one of the final three playoff spots.

Wheaton took the lead just 6:51 into the contest, as Dimick tipped home senior Shea Clarke's (Bellingham, MA/Bellingham) long hit from outside the circle for what stood up as her fifth game-winning goal. Dimick struck again late in the half, as she received a long penalty corner pass from senior Rachel Sminkey (White River Junction, VT/Hartford) and deposited her second marker less than seven minutes before halftime.

The visitors still held a 2-0 lead before icing the game with two goals in a 1:56 span early in the second stanza. Sophomore Lauren Henderson (Marblehead, MA/Newman School) tipped in another Clarke blast at 42:45 for her third goal this fall, as Clarke tied Cara Collins' '02 program record with her 19th career assist. Dimick completed her hat trick at 44:41 by redirecting sophomore Alisa Ardito's (Branford, CT/Branford) pass.

The Blue and White held slight advantages of 19-17 in shots and 13-10 in corners. Senior Mary Catherine Boll (Columbus, IN/Miss Porter's School) made 10 stops in nearly 61 minutes and tied Maribeth Burke's '87 single-season wins record of 13 set in 1983. Sophomore Jackie Riccio (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) stopped two shots in the final nine minutes, while sophomore Allie Walsh (Ann Arbor, MI/Greenhills) and junior Krista Rogers (Pownal, ME/North Yarmouth) combined for six saves in the Mount Holyoke cage.

Dimick continues to climb Wheaton's top-10 lists, as her 42 points and 16 goals are four and five short, respectively, of school records Maureen Reynolds '88 established in 1987. Dimick also rose to third in career points (56) and into a tie for fourth in goals (21). Sminkey ascended into 10th in points (45) with her assist.

The Lyons complete their regular season schedule and seek their 14th win on Tuesday at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a 6:00 p.m. conference contest under the lights.

SCORING: 1st 2nd Final
Wheaton (13-5, 5-2) 2 2 4
Mount Holyoke (5-11, 2-5) 0 0 0

1st Half: WC- Sara Dimick (Shea Clarke) 6:51, Dimick (Rachel Sminkey) 28:03

2nd Half: WC- Lauren Henderson (Clarke) 42:45, Dimick (Alisa Ardito) 44:41

Goalie Saves: WC- Mary Catherine Boll (60:58) 10, Jackie Riccio (9:02) 2; MHC- Allie Walsh (44:48) 4, Krista Rogers (25:12) 2

Shots: WC- 19; MHC- 17

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