NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL / NEWMAC TOURNAMENT DIGITAL PROGRAM
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) have announced the seedings and pairings for the upcoming NEWMAC Tournament and the Mount Holyoke College field hockey team earned its 17th straight playoff berth. The Lyons are the fifth-seed in this year's tournament and will travel to fourth-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Tuesday. Game time is set for 6pm.
Led by 18th-year head coach Andy Whitcomb, the Lyons are currently 12-6, owning a 5-3 mark in the NEWMAC standings. This is the 17th straight appearance in the NEWMAC Tournament for MHC, dating back to the 1999 season. Mount Holyoke earned the fifth-seed for Tuesday's quarterfinals following a tie-breaker after finishing in a three-way draw for third in the final standings. The Lyons only losses in the NEWMAC this season came against Wellesley (2-1 in 2OT), Smith (2-1) and MIT (5-1).
The Lyons have continued to put forth a strong effort across the board and rank among the NEWMAC's best in a number of categories, including second in shots (329), goals (60), goals per game (3.30), assists (42), shots per game (18.3), penalty corners (184) and defensive saves (4). MHC is also third in goals against average (1.53) and fourth in saves (112), fewest goals allowed (28) and save percentage (.800).
Individually, the Lyons are led in scoring by junior forward Charlotte Wagner (West Chester, Pa./Westtown School), who has 18 goals and 10 assists for 46 points. She currently leads the NEWMAC in goals, points, shots (94) and shots on goal (63). Wagner is also second in assists.
Sophomore midfielder Sophie Perekslis (Millerton, N.Y./Berkshire School) is currently second overall with 15 goals and three assists for 33 points. She is currently third in the NEWMAC in goals and fifth in points. Senior forward Julia Bell (Longmeadow, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson) rounds out the top-three with seven goals and four assists for 18 points.
Defensively, Mount Holyoke has been anchored by junior Liz DiCesare (Westford, Mass./Bishop Guertin), who is 11-6 on the season. She currently ranks fourth in the NEWMAC in goals against average (1.40), saves (94) and save percentage (.810). DiCesare has allowed just 22 goals this season over 1101:39 minutes played.
The Lyons are back in action on Tuesday when they compete in the NEWMAC Tournament Quarterfinals against MIT at 6pm. This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, which saw the Engineers claim a 5-1 win during the regular season. The winner of Tuesday's game advances to Saturday's Semifinals at top-seeded Babson. That game time will be 12pm.
