SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The Mount Holyoke College field hockey team netted three first half goals and made it stand, defeating Wesleyan University by a 3-0 margin, in non-conference action on Tuesday. The Lyons improve to 4-3 with the victory, while the Cardinals slip to 2-4 on the season.
MHC opened the game's scoring just over the 11 minute mark as junior forward Charlotte Wagner (West Chester, Pa./Westtown School) notched her team-leading 10th goal of the season. Senior captain and midfielder Sarah LaQuerre (Old Orchard Beach, Maine/Cheverus) started the play, firing in an arcing shot that was batted down by the Cardinals keeper. Wagner was there at the right corner to swat the rebound in.
Wagner helped make it a 2-0 game at 20:24 after she passed the ball across the goal mouth to sophomore midfielder Sophie Perekslis (Millerton, N.Y./Berkshire School), who banked it into the open left side.
The Lyons added to their advantage less than twenty seconds later as Perekslis fired it across the top of the crease through traffic. First year midfielder Kristina Ramsden (Florence, Mass./Northampton) was there at the right corner, knocking the ball in.
Mount Holyoke, which held a 6-0 advantage in shots for the opening half, faced considerable pressure in the second half as the Cardinals flipped the momentum. Wesleyan fired off seven shots, including three on goal, but junior keeper Liz DiCesare (Westford, Mass./Bishop Guertin) was up to the task.
Wesleyan's best opportunity came late in the half as senior forward and captain Hannah Plappert (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock) settled the ball off the corner and launched a hard and speedy shot down the middle. DiCesare ran out to make the kick save and preserve the shutout.
The Lyons finished with an 11-7 edge in shots, while the Cardinals had a 7-5 advantage in penalty corners. DiCesare finished with three saves in the win, while Wesleyan's Sara Grundy (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) made five saves in the loss.
The Lyons are right back in action on Saturday when they open their NEWMAC schedule against Wellesley at home at 12pm. Wesleyan is also in action on Saturday, hosting NESCAC-rival Bates at 11am.
