November 15, 2008

Wheaton Blanks Eastern for More Than 82 Minutes Before Falling, 1-0 In NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament

GLASSBORO, NJ- The Wheaton College women's soccer team held Eastern University off the board until the 83rd minute before falling, 1-0 during the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday at a wet Rowan University. Wheaton saw its season come to an end with a 16-6-2 record, while Eastern is now 15-5 and will play in tomorrow's second round at 1:00 p.m. against the advancing team from this afternoon's second contest between Rowan and the State University of New York at Oneonta.

The Lyons, who are ranked sixth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) New England poll, were competing in their ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament and lost a first-round game for the first time in five tries, yielding their initial opening-round goal. In the teams' first match-up, Eastern won its 10th straight game with its ninth shutout during that stretch. The Eagles are ranked seventh in the NSCAA Middle Atlantic poll and have yielded just two goals in the last 920:54.

While playing in its second straight NCAA Tournament, Eastern netted the winner with 7:41 remaining in regulation. Freshman Tess Beckwith (Upper Montclair, NJ/Mount Saint Dominic) rushed up the left side and crossed to senior Ashley Hackman (Perkasie, PA/Christopher Dock), who roofed a shot for her team-high 15th goal. The Lyons had a couple rushes late in regulation but could not fire off a shot, including when senior Jessica Bramucci (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham & Monson Academy) sent a low cross 30 seconds after the goal that Eagle senior keeper Amanda Daveler (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) came out to smother.

Early in the contest, Eastern put up a handful of great opportunities while trying to take advantage of the slick field and ball. Senior Kara Neef's (Havertown, PA/Delaware County Christian) shot from 30 yards in the eighth minute was denied by Wheaton freshman keeper Lindsay Leddy (Warwick, RI/Wheeler School), and another ball of the foot of Neef skittered off the damp ground to the netminder in the 12th minute. In the 13th minute, Neef sent another long attempt toward goal only to have Leddy go high to make the save and secure the ball while falling to the ground and being run into by an Eagle player looking for a follow-up shot.

A pair of Eastern players later tried shots from closer to the Lyon net, but freshman Allison Inch (McAlisterville, PA/East Juniata) missed wide left from the right side of the box during the 16th minute before junior Jill DiRenzo (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) went wide right in the 25th minute.

Wheaton's offense kicked into gear during the latter portion of the opening half, with sophomore Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) attempting the Lyons' initial shot during the 25th minute, as Daveler held on to the ball while falling to her left. In the 27th minute, Blue and White freshman Lindsey Cobb (Shrewsbury, MA/Saint

Peter-Marian) lofted a cross along the goal line over a leaping Daveler, but no teammate was able to connect on the back side. A defender knocked the ball back out to Cobb, whose follow-up try sailed high and to the right.

Eastern had another pair of chances late in the period, but freshman Bethany Engle (East Petersburg, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) pushed a shot just over the crossbar in the 39th minute, and junior Lauren Roe's (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) try was turned aside by Leddy with 1:45 remaining.

In the second half, Neef curled a corner kick toward the close post in the 48th minute, but Wheaton sophomore back Alessia Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) headed the ball off the line. A pair of corner kicks by Lyon junior back Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) in the first 10 minutes went unanswered before Hackman bounced a header wide left in the 63rd minute. During the 68th minute, Hough beat two defenders and sent a low shot on Daveler, who made a stop after the bounding ball hugged the ground as it approached the net.

Leddy finished with eight saves, as the Lyons were outshot, 15-7 for the game but just 5-4 in the second half. Daveler made four stops for the Eagles, who took five of the seven corner kicks in the game.