News Release

Wheaton Seeks Third Straight NEWMAC Title and Eighth in Nine Seasons

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's soccer team is two wins away from capturing its third straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship and eighth in nine seasons this weekend, as the second-seeded Lyons head to Springfield College for a semifinal round tilt against sixth seed Clark University on Saturday.

Wheaton, which secured at least a share of its 10th consecutive NEWMAC regular season title, advanced to a conference semifinal for the 14th straight fall. Holding a 2-0 league tournament series lead over Clark, the Lyons are slated to face the Cougars on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. The first semifinal features top seed Springfield and number-five Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at 3:00 p.m. Sunday's championship game is slated for 3:00 p.m. Wheaton is seeking a spot in its ninth straight NCAA Tournament.

The Lyons are 15-4-2 and ranked sixth in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), posting a 7-1-1 league record. Wheaton had its nation-best 91-game conference unbeaten streak end earlier this fall, as the Blue and White has fallen just once in its last 98 matches against league teams. The Lyons held a 25-6 scoring edge with five shutouts during NEWMAC regular season play before tying seventh seed Mount Holyoke College, 1-1 and advancing on penalty kicks, 4-1 in the tournament's first round last Saturday. Clark, which is 7-9-1 after posting a 4-5 conference mark, also advanced on penalty kicks after tying third seed Babson College. The Lyons downed Clark, 1-0 on October 18 in Worcester.

Wheaton is currently riding a six-game unbeaten streak, having gone 4-0-2 during that stretch, while having lost just once while posting five shutouts in its last nine contests. Boasting a NEWMAC-high 12 shutouts, the Lyons rank second to Springfield in scoring offense and defense. Thirteen different players have scored and two goalkeepers have combined for a 0.70 GAA. Entering the weekend with a 22-0-3 ledger during its last 25 league tournament games, Wheaton's last 14 tournament wins have come via a shutout, and the Lyons have blanked foes during 19 of their last 22 league tournament victories.

Sophomores Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) and Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) possess a dangerous one-two scoring punch, with each scoring 13 times while combining on nine game-winners. The 13 goals tie for the league lead, while Hough's 37 points and 11 assists are conference bests. Alvarez's 29 points rank second. Senior Jessica Bramucci (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham & Monson Academy) has 16 points on five goals and six assists, while freshman Jessica Stuart (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) and junior co-captain Lyndsey McManus (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) round out the double-figure scorers with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

McManus, who also anchors the Wheaton defense from her center back position, has distributed six assists and made 19 starts. Sophomore and fellow back Alessia Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) is one of just two Lyons to start all but one game, as the defense helped Wheaton hold its opponents to a goal or less 16 times. The Lyons have also enjoyed success from first-year keeper Lindsay Leddy (Warwick, RI/Wheeler School), who is 12-3-2 with a 0.59 goals against average and nine shutouts in 16 starts. She leads the NEWMAC in shutouts while ranking second in goals against average. Leddy allowed one goal or fewer during 15 of her 18 appearances, and her shutout total is the fifth highest in program history.

Submitted 2008-11-06 15:47:55 by Wheaton College-MA Sports Information Department

Comments: