The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

NORTON, MA- Senior Lyndsie Ryalls (Branford, CT/Branford) scored just 6:01 into the game, and the third-seeded Wheaton College field hockey team held number six Clark University without a shot until early in the second half during the Lyons' 3-0 victory on Saturday during the first round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament on Clark Field.

Wheaton, which improved to 13-5, advanced to face second-seeded Wellesley College in a 2:00 p.m. semifinal next Saturday at Babson College. The Cougars finished their season at 7-10.

The Lyons jumped on top in the seventh minute, as junior Alisa Ardito (Branford, CT/Branford) crossed from the right endline into the middle toward Ryalls, who scored on the game's initial shot. A little more than 10 minutes later, sophomore Alex Block (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) scored following a long penalty-corner sequence when her shot at the left post went high above freshman keeper Katelyn McGrath (Wilmington, MA/Wilmington) and into the right side of the net at 16:29.

At halftime, Wheaton held advantages of 7-0 in shots and 4-2 in penalty corners before tallying one last time in the second stanza. In the 40th minute, McGrath stopped a hard shot near the middle of the circle, but the Cougars were ultimately called for an infraction that led to Wheaton being awarded a penalty stroke at 39:46. Freshman Sarah Crowley (Worcester, MA/Bancroft School) entered the game to take the stroke and tucked a shot into the left side of the net for her first collegiate marker.

Wheaton outshot Clark, 11-6 in the second half while holding a 6-5 edge in corners, and the Lyons finished the contest having taken 18 of the game's 24 shots and with a 10-7 corners advantage. Freshman Cameron Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) made two saves for the Lyons, while McGrath had six stops. Next weekend, Wheaton looks to avenge a 2-0 loss it suffered at Wellesley on October 16.

2007 NEWMAC FIELD HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
Wheaton 3, Clark 0

SCORING                   1st       2nd      Final
Clark (7-10)                  0          0         0
Wheaton (13-5)             2          1          3

1st Half: WC- Lyndsie Ryalls (Alisa Ardito) 6:01, Alex Block (unassisted) 16:29

2nd Half: WC- Sarah Crowley (penalty stroke) 39:46

Goalie Saves: WC- Cameron Abel 2; CU- Katelyn McGrath 6

Shots: WC- 18; CU- 6

Third-Seeded Wheaton Downs Number Six Clark, 3-0, Advances into Semifinals