Women's Soccer Falls to Unbeaten Wheaton, 3-1

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior forward Kaylee Sye (Acton, Mass.) netted a pair of goals to lead the visiting Wheaton College women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Bridgewater State University on Thursday night at Swenson Field.

Freshman midfielder Kenza Farid (Hampton, N.H.) also scored for the Lyons who remain unbeaten on the season as they improve to 5-0. The host Bears fall to 1-2-1 with the setback.

Bridgewater State junior forward Rachel Healy (Sutton, Mass.) opened the scoring in the 59th minute on the Bears' first shot of the game. A long throw-in from senior defender Cassidy Campbell (Norton, Mass.) landed at the feet of junior forward Emma Sanders (Seekonk, Mass.) who slipped a short cross at the top of the 18 to Healy. The junior transfer turned and beat the Wheaton keeper with a shot inside the right post for her first goal in a BSU uniform.

Sye netted the equalizer for the Lyons in the 64th minute. A short pass from junior midfielder Aymara O'Brien-Pappalardo (Easton, Conn.) managed to get through a BSU defender at the top of the 18 and Sye tucked an off-balance shot inside the left post from 15 yards out.

Less than three minutes later, Sye potted the go-ahead goal. Freshman forward Chloe Troy (Wethersfield, Conn.) collected a long volley from O'Brien-Pappalardo at the right side of the 18 and flicked a cross over two BSU defenders towards the far post to a wide-open Sye who headed the ball into the left side of the net.

Farid scored off the rebound of Hannah Lepordo's (Sudbury, Mass.) header off the post in the 79th minute to put the finishing touches on the 3-1 victory.

Wheaton held a decided 22-4 shot advantage as well as a 6-0 edge in corner kick attempts. O'Brien-Pappalardo finished with two assists on the evening.

Junior netminder Alexa Barbagallo (Bridgewater, N.J.) made two saves to pick up her fifth win of the season between the pipes for the Lyons. BSU junior goalkeeper Kellie Souza (Wilmington, Mass.) stopped four shots in the setback.

The Lyons outshot the Bears 13-0 in the first half but were unable to get one past Souza. Sophomore defender Megan Darrell (Wethersfield, Conn.) nearly put Wheaton ahead in the opening stanza as she rang the cross bar on a long-range shot in the 34th minute.

Both teams open conference play on Saturday afternoon. The Bears travel to Salem State University for a three o'clock Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) game with the Vikings, while the Lyons host New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival MIT at one.