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

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's soccer team grabbed a two-goal lead less than 10 minutes into play, and the top-seeded Lyons won their seventh New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament crown in eight years behind a 5-0 victory against number three Babson College during the title game on Sunday in Mirrione Stadium. Wheaton is now 21-0-1 and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight season. Babson ends the fall at 11-7-2.

The Lyons, who are ranked seventh nationally and second in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), controlled play early and converted that momentum into a handful of golden opportunities in the first 30 minutes. Freshman Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) was dragged down in the box in the third minute, but the ensuing penalty kick at 2:17 by a Wheaton player went wide. Classmate Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) picked the Lyons up in the sixth minute, forcing a turnover in the Babson end before carrying up the left side and slipping a shot into the right portion of the net for a 1-0 lead.

At 9:12, sophomore Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) tallied the first of her two goals, driving a free kick from 20 yards out into the upper right corner of the net. Classmate Rosie Levy (Torrance, CA/Chadwick School) nearly tacked on another marker in the 11th minute, but Babson sophomore back Sam Bartman (Upton, MA/Nipmuc Regional) stood at the goal line to block Levy's shot from less than 10 yards away. Alvarez was denied by sophomore keeper Sam Scarpato (Weston, MA/Noble & Greenough) on a point-blank shot in the 27th minute, but McManus made it 3-0 at 28:45 when her free kick from 20 yards out rolled into the lower left side of the net, catching Scarpato and Babson off guard as the Beavers tried to set up their wall.

Alvarez was stopped on a close-range shot in the 61st minute, but she tallied at 61:22 after receiving a doorstep pass from Hough, who eluded two defenders and sent the ball just beyond the reach of a diving Scarpato. McManus was denied a hat trick in the 69th minute when Scarpato dove to block her free kick, but junior Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) made it 5-0 at 87:25 after picking up a loose ball in the box.

Wheaton, which took all 15 of the game's first-half shots, finished with advantages of 28-3 in shots and 5-1 in corner kicks. Seniors keepers Elana Cockburn (Chestnut Hill, MA/Brookline) and Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) each went untested in one half of work for Wheaton, with Cockburn earning the win, while Scarpato made nine saves in the Babson net.

2007 NEWMAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Wheaton 5, Babson 0

SCORING                             1st          2nd         Final
Babson (11-7-2)                    0              0             0
Wheaton (21-0-1)                 3              2              5

1st Half: WC- Emily Hough (unassisted) 5:20, Lyndsey McManus (unassisted) 9:12, McManus (unassisted) 28:45

2nd Half: WC- Melida Alvarez (Hough) 61:22, Angelamaria Viscomi (unassisted) 87:25

Goalie Saves: WC- Elana Cockburn (45:00) 0, Stacey Kronenberg (45:00) 0; BC- Sam Scarpato 9

Shots: WC- 28; BC- 3

Wheaton Grabs Early Lead, Captures Seventh NEWMAC Women's Soccer Title in Eight Years with 5-0 Victory