Women's Lacrosse Falls to Wheaton in Season Opener, 10-6

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The visiting Wheaton College women's lacrosse team opened the 2024 season with a 10-6 victory over Bridgewater State University on Wednesday late afternoon at Mazzaferro Field.

Eight different student-athletes scored for the Lyons with junior attack Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) leading the way with two goals and an assist and senior midfield Avonlea Lebeau (North Branford, Conn.) contributing a pair of goals.

Senior midfielder Logan Truluck (Bath, Maine), junior midfielders Sophie Gromala (Killingworth, Conn.) and Kilee Sherry (Gorham, Maine), sophomore attack Riley Kilbourn (Madison, Conn.), sophomore midfielder Sara Spielman (Norwalk, Conn.) and freshman attack Georgia Qua (Suffield, Conn.) also found the back of the net for the visitors.

Junior midfielder Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.) netted a hat trick for the Bears who also received a pair of goals from senior attack Savannah Herrington (Kinnelon, N.J.) as well as the first collegiate goal by freshman attach Abigail Lambert (Harrisville, R.I.).

Wheaton led 4-1 early in the second quarter following a strike by York. Back-to-back tallies by Herrington and McIntyre, with Herrington's marker coming off the free position, pulled the Bears to within one (4-3). Bridgewater, however, would get no closer the rest of the way, Goals by Truluck and Sherry capped the first half scoring as the Lyons took a 6-3 lead into the break.

The two teams exchanged two goals apiece in a tightly contested third quarter. A player-advantage marker by Lamber with 36 seconds showing on the scoreboard made it an 8-5 game heading into the final 15 minutes of action.

However, back-to-back player-advantage goals from Finnie and Lebeau over the first four minutes of the fourth quarter dashed any hopes of a BSU comeback. McIntyre completed her hat trick with 1:52 remaining to account for the final score of 10-6.

Wheaton held a 26-18 shot advantage for the game as well as a 13-7 edge in draw controls. The Lyons successfully converted 17 of 21 (81%) clear attempts while the Bears went 19-for-26 (73%) on the clear.

The two teams combined for 13 cards (seven yellow) in the game with nine issued to Bridgewater State. The Bears were also whistled for 33 of the 44 fouls.

Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Geis (Duxbury, Mass.) turned aside six shots to pick up the win between the pipes for the Lyons. Senior netminder Laura Giovaniello (Walpole, Mass.) made nine saves for the Bears.

In upcoming action, the Bears (0-1) travel to New London, Connecticut on Friday afternoon to take on the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at five o'clock. The Lyons (1-0) host Worcester State University on Saturday at noon.

Notes: Wheaton holds a 36-7-1 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1978.