BOSTON, Mass. – Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) posted her eighth career shutout to lead the Simmons College field hockey team to a 2-0 victory over visiting Wheaton College this evening on Winsor Field in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 6-2 on the season, while the Lyons fall to 5-2.
Simmons owned an 18-7 advantage on shots and a 15-7 margin on penalty corners.
Rastello stopped seven shots to secure the victory for the Sharks.
Simmons got on the board with 3:47 left in the first half when junior forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) sent a short cross in front of the cage to sophomore forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.), who redirected the ball into the far right post for her team-high eighth marker of the season.
The Sharks held Wheaton to just one shot in the first half, but the Lyons put together a flurry of shots in the 49th minute of the second half. Sophomore midfielders Katie Peters (Medway, Mass.) and Brooke Dugan (Saint George, Maine) each put a pair of shots on goal, but Rastello turned back all four attempts to keep the Simmons' clean sheet intact.
The Sharks increased their lead to 2-0 with 19:07 to play in the second half. Sophomore back Maizy Wagner (Chester County, Pa.) sent an insert pass on a penalty corner to the mid-top of the circle, where senior midfielder Amy Cronin (Georgetown, Mass.) stopped the ball on her stick and blasted a shot that hit nothing but the back of the cage.
The Simmons defense held the visitors at bay for the remainder of the match to claim the victory.
Sophomore goalie Riley Thompson (Fairfield, Conn.) made eight saves for Wheaton.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, September 26 when they host Great Northeast Athletic Conference foe Johnson & Wales University on Winsor Field at 11:00 a.m., while the Lyons host Smith College at 1:00 p.m. on the same day.