Wheaton Proves Too Much for the Lasers

NORTON, MA- Sophomores Julia Atwood (Concord, MA/Brooks School) and Ashley English (Watertown, MA/Watertown) each scored twice, and senior Alisa Ardito (Branford, CT/Branford) tied the Wheaton College field hockey program's career assists record during the Lyons' 6-1 victory over Lasell College on Sunday at Clark Field. Wheaton snapped a two-game skid in improving to 3-2, while the Lasers are 2-2.

Ardito's pair of helpers tied her with Sara Dimick '08 atop Wheaton's career assists list with 26. English's two markers were the first of her career, while freshman Cara Cusson (Ashfield, MA/Mohawk Trail Regional) also found the back of the net for the first time.

Lasell had the first scoring opportunity of the contest just two minutes in, as junior Caitlyn Walker (Middlebury, CT/Pomperaug) sent a point-blank shot on net, but junior keeper Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) charged out to make a save, and Wheaton controlled from there. During the next 22 minutes, the Lyons collected all 21 of the game's shots and all nine penalty corners until the Lasers notched a corner 11 minutes before halftime.

Following a third straight penalty corner, English buried the first goal of the game at 8:53 off a feed from sophomore Margaux Bolte (Belmont, MA/Belmont), and Cusson sent a long shot into the cage at 14:44 after an Ardito touch. Just 16 seconds later, Ardito drove a ball from outside the circle off the keeper's pads, and Atwood collected the rebound and scored.

Bagley made two more point-blank stops with seven minutes remaining in the period, and Wheaton made it 4-0 less than four minutes after halftime when Atwood converted freshman Hannah Knowles' (North Kingstown, RI/Rocky Hill School) centering pass.

Laser freshman Hannah Cebry (Burlington, CT/Lewis S. Mills) put her team on the board in the 51st minute after rushing all the way from midfield, but Lyon sophomore Sarah Crowley (Worcester, MA/Bancroft School) got the goal back by burying a penalty stroke during the 59th minute. At 64:13, Ardito notched her record-tying assist by dishing off to English, who blasted home her second goal.

Wheaton ended up with advantages of 50-12 in shots and 23-3 in penalty corners, including recording a 12-0 showing during the second half. Bagley made nine saves, while senior Amanda Miller (Fall River, MA/Apponequet Regional) had 17 stops for Lasell.

Article Courtesy of Wheaton College Sports Information Department.