Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2004--05 > December 6, 2004
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Men's Soccer (17-4-2, 5-1-0) Closes Season in NCAA Tournament Sectional Semifinal
The Wheaton College men's soccer team suffered only its third loss in its final 18 games of the season, as the Lyons wrapped up their 2004 campaign with a 1-0 loss to Geneseo State in the NCAA Division III Tournament sectional semifinal round game held at St. Lawrence University. Finishing the season with an overall record of 17-4-2 and fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Wheaton earned a final national ranking of 15th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
The Geneseo State match was settled in the 22nd minute with a Blue Knight goal, sending Geneseo to its first Elite Eight appearance in school history. The first 20 minutes began with strong offensive pressure from the Lyons, resulting in most of their six first-half shots early in the period. Geneseo saw few shots early in the contest, but the Knights capitalized from the top of the box after firing a shot into the upper right corner of the net past an outstretched Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown). Wheaton continued to apply pressure on the Knights' defense in the second half, but the Geneseo goalie stopped four second-half stops to anchor the unit. Senior Barry Finnerty (Milton, MA/Beaver Country Day) served a barrage of well-placed balls into the box, but a pair of headers by classmate Matt Ristuccia (Newton, MA/Newton North) and junior James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School) just missed the target. Pachniuk finished the contest with two saves, as Wheaton outshot the Blue Knights, 16-11 with an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Women's Soccer (23-1-2, 8-0-1) Reaches First NCAA Final Four in Program History
The Wheaton College women's soccer team reached its first NCAA Tournament Final Four in program history and was unbeaten in a school-best 25 straight games this season, as the Lyons defeated Middlebury College, 2-1 in the sectional semifinal round and defending national champion Oneonta State, 3-0 in the sectional final before falling to eventual national champion Wheaton College of Illinois, 3-1 in the national semifinal round game held in Greensboro, North Carolina. Completing the season with a Division III-best 22 shutouts, a record of 23-1-2 and a fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Lyons finished with their highest national ranking ever at third by the NSCAA.
Against Middlebury, sophomore Jordan Pouliot (Manchester, NH/Trinity) banged a shot in from the top of the box in the 88th minute of play to help lift Wheaton to victory. Pouliot wasted no time in launching a shot that beat the Panthers' keeper in the upper right corner of the goal. The Lyons broke through in the 27th minute when senior Beth Caromile (Warwick, RI/Pilgrim) took an Erin Davis (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) corner kick and fired a shot that went past the Middlebury keeper and deflected into the goal. The Panthers tied the game just over four minutes later as the 1-1 tie held for nearly the remainder of regulation. The goal allowed by Wheaton snapped a shutout streak that had reached 11 games. The goal also stopped Wheaton freshman goalkeeper Stacey Kronenberg's (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) scoreless streak of 984 straight minutes.
At Oneonta, Wheaton scored three unanswered goals in the second half. The first half was up and down between the two teams with an edge in play going to Wheaton. The opening stanza ended scoreless, but the Lyons held a decided 9-3 advantage in shots. Lightning struck early in the second half for Wheaton, as the Lyons scored the first of their three goals less than two minutes into the second stanza. Freshman Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross) got behind the Oneonta defense and collected a ball from Caromile. Konopka then used the outside of her foot to push the ball past the keeper for the 1-0 lead. The Red Dragons found themselves down 2-0 just over five minutes later when Wheaton notched its second goal on a restart. Davis put a perfect ball into the box that senior Erin Duffy (East Longmeadow, MA/East Longmeadow) was able to get her head on and knock into the goal. Wheaton put the game out of reach in the 68th minute when Davis scored directly on a corner kick. The Lyons outshot Oneonta, 21-7 and held a 7-4 advantage in corners.
In Greensboro, Wheaton had its most successful season in program history come to a close with its loss to Wheaton College of Illinois. After a scoreless first half, the Thunder broke the stalemate in the 56th minute. Two minutes later, Wheaton of Illinois scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal. NCAA All-Tournament team members Konopka and Pouliot combined to score in the 64th minute for the Lyons' lone goal of the afternoon, but in the 89th minute the Thunder tallied the game's last goal to advance to their first national championship game. Kronenberg stopped seven shots in net, while the Thunder had two goalkeepers split time with a total of five stops. Wheaton of Illinois outshot Wheaton of Massachusetts, 20-12 with a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Cross Country's Pyle and Brousseau Earn All-America Status at National Championship
Senior sensation Stan Pyle (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and freshman standout Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) made school history at the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championships, becoming Wheaton's first male and female cross country tandem to earn All-America laurels at a national meet. Held at the Whitetail Golf Course, the championships were hosted by the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.
Pyle, who picked up his second All-America performance in as many years, is the school's only male runner to have attended a national championship meet. He finished the 8,000-meter course with a time of 25:15, which was good enough for 29th place overall among 215 competitors. The race marked the third appearance at a national meet for Pyle. Advancing to the national championship after placing eighth at the New England Championship, Pyle was the fifth New England runner to cross the finish line.
Brousseau also made her own mark in the Wheaton annals, becoming the school's second female runner to qualify for this meet and first since 1986. She is also Wheaton's second female All-America performer. Brousseau held the distinction of being the nation's top freshman finisher, covering the 6,000-meter course in 22:21 while placing 30th overall in a field of 215 competitors. Like Pyle, Brousseau advanced to the national meet by virtue of an eighth-place finish at the regional meet. Brousseau's time was the ninth fastest among her regional counterparts.
Men's Basketball (4-2) Posts Back-to-Back Victories over Emerson and Endicott
The Wheaton College men's basketball team improved its overall record to 4-2 to open the young season, as the Lyons reached the championship game of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Tournament with a 105-67 victory over Eastern Nazarene College at Rutgers University at Newark. Wheaton fell to the host Scarlet Raiders, 74-69 in overtime, but bounced back to beat Brandeis University, 93-78 in its home opener. Following an 89-75 loss at Salve Regina University on Tuesday, the Lyons posted back-to-back victories to finish the week, including an 80-69 decision over Emerson College on Thursday and an 89-87 overtime thriller at Endicott College on Saturday.
Against Eastern Nazarene, Wheaton set a new program record for points in a half with 68. The Lyons went on an 18-4 run to take a 20-8 lead and never looked back, leading by as many as 36 points. Stanton poured in a dozen of his game-high 20 points in the opening 20 minutes of play, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor including 2-of-3 from the arc. Junior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) made 5-of-6 from the field and both of his three-point attempts to net 16 of his 18 points before the break. Senior tri-captain Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) dumped in 15 of his 17 points in the opening period, hitting 3-of-5 from three-point territory.
The Lyons held a 27-26 lead at Rutgers-Newark, but a 15-2 Scarlet Raider run in the final 4:49 of the half gave the hosts a commanding 41-29 lead at the break. In the second half, Wheaton scored nine unanswered points in a two-minute span to pull within three points and eventually tied the game at 57-57. Vega stole the lead from the Scarlet Raiders with 36 seconds remaining, but a lay up from Rutgers-Newark with 26 ticks left forced the overtime period. In the extra session, the Scarlet Raiders scored all 13 of their points from the charity stripe. Vega's team-high 16 points moved him into fourth place on Wheaton's all-time scoring list. Kelly scored 12 points with five assists, while senior Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) notched 14 points with seven boards.
Versus Brandeis, the Lyons jumped out to a commanding 12-0 cushion and a lead that wouldn't be relinquished. Sophomore Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut), who finished the half with 18 points and four steals, hit a couple of baskets in the opening stretch. Brandeis cut its deficit to 32-28 with 4:55 to play, but Wheaton closed out the half on a 13-4 run to give the Lyons a 45-32 halftime lead. The hosts started the second stanza with three's from Stanton and freshman Justin Brown (Gorham, ME/Gorham) to spark a 9-0 run that put the Lyons up 54-32. Stanton used a strong second half to notch 25 points on a 5-of-11 shooting performance from three-point range while grabbing a team-high seven boards. Zukowski had a career-best 21 points and game-high tying five steals, while Kelly tallied a double-double performance with 17 points and 11 assists. Freshman Brent DiGiovanna (Hanover, MA/Hanover) rounded out the double-digit scorers with a season-best 16 points.
At Salve Regina, the Seahawks carried a three-point lead heading into the intermission thanks in large part to a 15-of-27 (.556) shooting performance. The Seahawks held a five-point edge with seven minutes remaining, but a pair of free throws by Kelly and a free throw and jump shot from DiGiovanna gave the Lyons a 34-33 edge with just under four minutes to play. The Seahawks went on a 6-2 run to close out the half and then began the second half with six more points to bring their lead to nine, a deficit the Lyons wouldn't overcome. Kelly recorded a career-best 23 points, game-high tying five assists and five rebounds, while DiGiovanna and Zukowski added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Against Emerson, the Lyons went on an 11-3 run to take a commanding 21-9 advantage with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. The Lions brought the game to 35-30 with two minutes left on the clock and eventually closed to within four points heading into the intermission. The two teams traded baskets to open the second half, as Wheaton and Emerson posted 10 points apiece to push the score to 47-43. With 14:42 remaining, the Lyons began to pull away, outscoring Emerson, 23-11 over the next nine minutes to take a commanding 70-54 lead. The Lyons hit 57 percent of their field goals, 47 percent from the arc and 87 percent of their free throws. Stanton recorded 24 points, while Kelly posted a double-double performance with 15 points and 10 assists.
Knotted at 25 points apiece at Endicott, the Blue and White used a 7-1 run to take the biggest lead of the half at 32-26, as the Lyons eventually carried a 32-30 edge into the intermission. After a series of lead changes in the second stanza, seven consecutive points by the Lyons gave the visitors a six-point advantage, but Endicott tied the contest again at 72-72. A late surge and 6-0 run gave the Gulls a four-point lead with just two seconds remaining in regulation, all but sewing up the victory for Endicott, but Zukowski cut the deficit to three with a free throw before intentionally missing his second shot. A friendly bounce gave the Blue and White possession with seven-tenths of a second remaining, allowing Stanton to drain a trey as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime. The Gulls jetted to a five-point lead in the extra frame, but freshman Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) came up huge in the overtime and scored 10 of Wheaton's 11 points to edge the Gulls in dramatic fashion. The Lyons were led by Johnston's season-high 24 points, while Kelly finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Stanton collected 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Women's Basketball (1-5) Collects First Win of Season with 74-69 Victory over Hartwick
The Wheaton College women's basketball team began its season out west, falling to host Lewis & Clark College, 65-51 and Willamette University, 67-59 in the Bon Appetit Classic in Portland, Oregon. The Lyons returned to New England with three hard-fought losses to Curry College, 63-57, nationally-ranked Brandeis University, 76-64 and unbeaten Fitchburg State, 56-46, before picking up their first victory of the season on Saturday with a 74-69 decision over Hartwick College.
At Lewis & Clark, both teams played nip-and-tuck through the first half, as Wheaton and the Pioneers witnessed 10 lead changes and six ties. The hosts held the biggest lead of the opening stanza at 13-10 with 6:26 to play and eventually took a 22-21 advantage into the break. In the second half, Lewis & Clark reeled off five straight points to take a 26-22 lead, but senior Mary Flaherty's (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester) three followed by a Deverie Stover (Kingston, NY/Hawthorne Valley School) jump shot put Wheaton back on top at 27-26 with 17:57 remaining. The lead proved to be short-lived however, as the Pioneers later went on a 9-2 run over a three-minute span to put the game out of reach. Sophomore Samara Audet (Derry, NH/Trinity) led the Lyons in scoring with 12 points, while classmate Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) added a team-high 11 boards.
Versus Willamette, the Lyons took a 13-11 edge before the Bearcats went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to put Wheaton in a 19-13 hole. The Lyons did mount a comeback, trailing by only two at the intermission following a pair of free throws from senior co-captain Kate Williams (Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel). Wheaton used its late first-half momentum to carry over to the second stanza, outscoring the Bearcats, 7-0 to lead 37-32 with 18:39 remaining. After exchanging baskets to trail 39-34, Willamette reeled off 13 unanswered points to take the lead for good. McCormack and sophomore Casey Sorbara (Port Chester, NY/Trinity Catholic) each notched a team-high tying 12 points, while Audet added 10 points. Audet and Williams also added a team-high tying seven rebounds.
At Curry, Wheaton trailed by a single point at the half, as the Blue and White went 10-of-30 (.367) from the floor while limiting the Colonels to 11-of-32 shooting (.344). Curry did however hit six of its eight free throw attempts in the first period, which proved to be enough for a 28-27 lead heading into the intermission. Foul shots played a key factor in the second half as well, as the Colonels collected 16 of their 35 second-half points via the charity stripe, lifting the hosts to the six-point win despite hitting 8-of-30 (.267) field goal attempts to close out the game. Conversely, Wheaton only made half of its 16 free throw attempts, two three-point buckets and 10 field goals overall. Williams led the Lyons with a double-double performance, notching a team-high tying 11 points and team-best 10 rebounds. Freshman Courtney Riley (Quincy, MA/Fontbonne Academy) also contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
Against Brandeis, the Lyons reeled off 10 straight points and eventually led 13-4 on the strength of a trey from Williams with 15:08 to play. The teams battled back and forth for most of the stanza, with Wheaton taking a 27-25 edge as a result of Audet's three. That proved to be the last lead of the game for the Lyons, as the Judges eventually took a 40-33 lead into the intermission. The Lyons crept to within two at 49-47 with 9:52 to play, but Wheaton began a scoring drought that lasted over four minutes while the Judges capitalized with eight straight points to put the game out of reach. Williams paced the Wheaton offense with 15 points, six rebounds and three steals, while McCormack matched Williams point total while grabbing a team-best seven boards.
Versus Fitchburg State, Williams ignited Wheaton's offense early with a three-point basket 18 seconds into the contest, leading the Lyons to a 5-0 lead with 18:29 to play. The Falcons countered with a three to help propel them to a single-digit lead the rest of the half. Wheaton recorded a pair of ties, with the latter taking place with 7:09 to play, as the hosts knotted the contest at 17-17 thanks in part to a 6-of-6 free throw performance from Riley. Riley netted eight points in the half, as Fitchburg held a 26-21 halftime advantage. The Falcons began the second half with a decisive 21-6 run that consumed nearly half of the second stanza, stretching their lead to as many as 20 points. Riley led the Blue and White with a game-high tying 14 points and game-best 13 rebounds. Flaherty's 12-point night was good enough for second on the team, while Williams rounded out the double-figure scoring with 10 points.
Against Hartwick, the game was tight in the early minutes with the Lyons leading 11-9, but the Hawks nailed back-to-back treys for their biggest lead of the half. The pair of three-pointers marked the first of 10 lead changes, as the biggest advantage either team held was the five-point edge by the hosts to open the contest. The first half also saw seven ties, as the Lyons held a slim 33-30 halftime lead. The Hawks got to within a point just seconds into the second half, but Stover and Williams responded with Wheaton's next 11 points for a 44-36 advantage. The Lyons extended their cushion to 10 points on two occasions including a 51-41 score with 12:17 on the clock, but Hartwick bounced back and eventually recaptured the lead. With a minute to play and Wheaton trailing 69-68, Stover posted four straight points and Williams hit two free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win. Stover turned in a career-high tying 20 points and seven rebounds, while Williams added 17 points and four boards.
Men's (4-1) and Women's (5-0) Swimming Sweeps Bridgewater State and Clark
The Wheaton College men's and women's swimming and diving teams are both off to great starts, as the Lyons swept Bridgewater State College and Clark University in back-to-back days and also performed well at the Camel Invitational at Connecticut College. The men's squad defeated Bridgewater State, 123-107 and Clark, 137-100 before finishing third out of four teams at the Camel Invitational. The women kept its perfect streak intact with 147-80 and 167-124 victories over Bridgewater and Clark, respectively, before placing third in the five-team field at Connecticut College.
At Bridgewater State, sophomore co-captain Barrett Roberts (Portland, ME/Deering) recorded wins in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. Also posting multiple-event victories was sophomore Matt Hurley (Belfast, ME/Belfast Area) in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. Rounding out the multiple-event victors was junior John Kuckens (West Hartford, CT/Hall) in the 500- and 1000-yard freestyle races. The women were led by junior Courtney Catalano (Westford, MA/Westford Academy), who went on to record victories in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races. Sophomore Cassie Bohn (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa) added two individual victories to her record with wins in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke. Freshman Elizabeth Slavin (Niskayuna, NY/Hyde School) was victorious in the one- and three-meter dive events.
Against Clark, Roberts collected wins in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle events. Freshman Joe Fowler (Farmington, ME/Mount Blue) recorded a victory in the 1650-yard freestyle and sophomore Zach Hicks (Bath, ME/Morse) won the 100-yard breaststroke. Other winners included Kuckens in the 50-yard freestyle, first-year Matt Jordan (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth) in the 200-yard backstroke, senior co-captain Chris Klinkow (Hollis, NH/Hollis-Brookline) in the 100-yard butterfly and Hurley in the 400-yard individual medley. For the women, senior Amanda Berthelette (Milford, NH/Milford), Bohn and freshman Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose) each won two individual events, with Berthelette winning the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, Bohn the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and Pratt the 50- and 500-yard freestyle. Rounding out the women's victories were junior Lauren Pcholinski (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook) in the 100- and 1650-yard freestyle events and sophomore Kristen Behrens (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) in the 200-yard freestyle. Classmate Colleen Smith (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) was victorious in the 200-yard butterfly while senior co-captain Blake Worrall (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) won the 100-yard butterfly.
At Connecticut College, Wheaton broke six school records en route to a pair of third place finishes. The men's squad totaled three school records in the two-day event, led by Fowler, who broke Wheaton's all-time 400-yard individual medley mark with a 4:27.08 finish while setting another record in the 1650-yard freestyle in 17:35.01. Jordan also posted a solid showing in the 50-yard back, winning the event in 25.91. Roberts, Jordan, Klinkow and Hurley turned in a school record-breaking performance in the 400-yard medley relay, finishing second overall in 3:41.24. The women were led by Pratt, whose school record time of 1:00.71 in the 100-yard fly notched the Lyons their sole first place finish. Pratt also recorded a school-record 27.85 in the 50-yard butterfly and 55.74 the 100-yard freestyle.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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