Lyons looking for seventh women's soccer league crown in eight years, prepared to host eighth consecutive NEWMAC final four

November 1, 2007

NORTON, MA- The seventh-ranked Wheaton College women's soccer team is looking for its seventh New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament crown in eight seasons this weekend, as the Lyons are prepared to host their eighth straight final four in Mirrione Stadium.

Capturing their ninth straight NEWMAC regular season crown, the Lyons are competing in a league semifinal for the 13th straight year. Number one Wheaton will face fourth seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Saturday's first semifinal at 10:30 a.m., while number three Babson College and seventh-seeded Wellesley College play at 1:30 p.m. The title game is on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The Lyons, who downed Smith College, 3-0 in last year's championship match, seek a spot in their eighth straight NCAA Tournament.

The Lyons are 19-0-1 and swept through conference action behind a 9-0 record, their sixth perfect season in 10 years of NEWMAC play. Wheaton outscored league foes, 46-4 and posted six shutouts before blanking number eight Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), 5-0 in the first round of the NEWMAC Tournament last Saturday. The Lyons have an 86-game unbeaten streak against NEWMAC teams, the longest active undefeated conference run in NCAA soccer. MIT posted a 6-3 league mark and enters the weekend at 12-5 overall. On September 29, Wheaton scored three times in the first 8:09 in downing the Engineers, 7-1.

Wheaton boasts the NEWMAC's top offense (4.10) and defense (0.40), as 19 different players have found the back of the net and three goalkeepers have combined for a league-high-tying 13 shutouts. The Lyons' 20-game unbeaten streak is tied for the second longest in program history, while their 16-game winning streak ties for fifth. The Blue and White is aiming for its eighth 20-win season in the last nine years. While entering the weekend 20-0-2 in its last 22 conference tournament games, Wheaton is 26-0-2 all time at Mirrione Stadium during league tournament play. Each of the Lyons' last 12 tournament wins has come via a shutout, and they have blanked opponents during 17 of their last 20 league tournament victories.

Freshman Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) has racked up league highs of 20 goals and seven game-winners while sitting second with 44 points, and she is two goals shy of the program's freshman mark. Classmate Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) has quietly assembled 12 goals, 10 assists, 34 points and three game-winning tallies. She is tied for second in the NEWMAC in assists, is fourth in points and fifth in goals. Senior Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth), who recently became the seventh member of Wheaton's 100-point club, has nine goals, seven assists and 26 points, tying for sixth in the league in helpers, placing seventh in points and tying for seventh in goals. Eight of the NEWMAC's top 13 assist totals belong to Lyons, including senior Erin Davis (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) tying for second with 10 and freshman Barrie Lindsay (Ipswich, MA/Waring School) tying for fourth with nine.

Davis anchors the backfield, and freshman defender Alessia Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) has made a team-high 18 starts. Three keepers have rotated in defending the net, as seniors Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) and Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) lead the corps by having each started eight contests. Kronenberg is 9-0-1 with a 0.36 goals against average and .864 save percentage, while Cockburn has posted a 6-0 record, 0.42 GAA and .857 save percentage. In her second college season, sophomore Abby Isaac (Larchmont, NY/Proctor Academy) is 4-0, having tallied a team-high three shutouts, a 0.40 GAA and a .875 save percentage.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 11/1/07.
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