NORTON, Mass. - The Wheaton College field hockey team overcame a 1-0 deficit with a pair of second half goals to earn a 2-1 victory over visiting Simmons College this evening at Diane C. Nordin '80 field in Norton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 4-3 on the season, while the Lyons improve to 3-4.
Wheaton outshot the Sharks 28-6, while holding a 15-3 advantage in corners.
Simmons made its shots count in the first half with first year forward Olivia Trull (Lowell, Mass.) putting the visitors on the board with a penalty stroke coming with just 18 ticks remaining in the opening half to score the lone goal of the stanza. The Lyons owned a 15-5 shot margin for the first period.
Wheaton scored its only two goals of the match within a 51-second span just over 10 minutes into the second half.
A goal by junior forward Katie Peters (Medway, Mass.) pulled the Lyons even in the 46th minute with her second goal of the season. The goal came following a shot by senior forward Amelia Gage (Lebanon, N.H.) that was pushed around the box, eventually making its way to Peters.
Less than a minute later Gage tacked on what proved to be the game-winning goal for Wheaton. The insurance goal started with a take-away by the Lyons at midfield and a cleaver run down the center of the field by junior back Hailey Kohler (Flemington, N.J.), who threaded the ball to Gage. Gage, who was parked in front of the Simmons keeper and a defender, wasted no time turning and firing the ball into the back of the cage for her fourth tally of the year with 23:32 left in the match.
The Sharks were able to make one last charge in the final minute and a half of action, but came up short due to all-out defensive effort by Wheaton.
Senior goalie Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) was outstanding in goal for Simmons, turning away 14 shots, while junior goalie Riley Thompson (Fairfield, Conn.) made one save for the Lyons to earn the victory.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, September 24 when it travels to Paxton, Mass. to take on Great Northeast Athletic Conference foe Anna Maria College at 10:00 a.m., while Wheaton heads to Northampton, Mass. to take on Smith College on the same day.