SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The first Lyon of the Week honor for the 2015-16 season has been announced and first years Kristina Ramsden and Ayame Yazawa were recognized. Ramsden, a member of the field hockey team, and Yazawa, who plays tennis, both helped lead their respective teams to solid starts during the opening week.
A native of Florence, Mass., Ramsden notched two goals with two assists for the Lyons last week. In a 9-0 season-opening victory at Nichols, she scored the fifth goal of the game, going on to assist on the final two tallies while also notching three shots (two on goal). Ramsden then tallied the Lyons only goal in a narrow 2-1 loss against RPI.
The former Northampton High School standout was a letterwinner in field hockey, helping the team to a pair of Western Mass. Division 1 Section Finals appearances. Ramsden earned All-League in 2014 and also played in the Massachusetts 60 Best All-Star Game.
Yazawa, who hails from Tokyo, Japan, has helped lead the Lyons tennis team to a 3-0 mark in its opening week. In a season-opening 9-0 win against UMass-Boston, she partnered with senior captain Margaux Holloschutz to win at first doubles, going on to claim victory in first singles. Yazawa accomplished the same feat for MHC in the NEWMAC opener on Saturday as the Lyons defeated Wheaton.
The former St. Johnsbury Academy graduate then recorded a singles win on Monday, as the Lyons defeated Simmons by a 7-2 margin. She is now 3-0 in first flight singles, while sporting a 2-1 mark in first doubles action.
During her high school career, Yazawa was a four-year member of the Hilltoppers tennis team, serving as captain for two years. She was the 2013 Vermont State Champion, while finishing as a finalist at both the 2014 and 2015 State Championships.
The Lyons field hockey team (1-1), which is ranked #18 in the latest NFHCA Poll, returns to action on Tuesday evening when it hosts #12 Amherst at 7:15pm on the turf field. The tennis team is back on the court this weekend, traveling to Emerson (1pm) on Saturday and Wellesley (11am) on Sunday.