NEW LONDON, Conn. - It was a tightly contested battle as Mount Holyoke College and the Coast Guard Academy squared-off in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday afternoon. Six different goal scorers paced the Bears to a 9-7 victory and move the home team to 6-9 with a 3-3 conference record. The Lyons, who saw four different players find the back of the net, are now 7-7 with a 2-4 mark in the NEWMAC.
Coast Guard opened up a 3-1 lead in the opening half following a Luisa Santos free position tally, but the Lyons bounced back as first year Caroline Flynn made it a one-goal game. Junior captain Julianna Rankin cut the Lyons deficit to 4-3 at 6:05, but Etta Davis countered with a free position tally.
The Lyons cut the lead once more with 1:15 left in the opening half as first year Abby Baldwin notched a free position shot of her own, but the Bears headed into half with the 5-4 advantage.
Second half action was a furious back-and-forth pace, opened by Coast Guard's Haley Howard just twenty seconds into the frame. Flynn kept iit to a one-goal deficit as she recorded her second of the contest at 26:44, but Haley McCue once again made it a two-goal edge off a feed from Maddie Rizzuto.
A free position tally from senior Deyscha Smith made it 7-6 with 16:44 to play, but goals from Mel Goins and another from Rizzuto made it a 9-6 lead at 4:29. MHC saw Baldwin add her second of the game and 55th of the season with 2:05, but the visitors could not get any closer.
David, Rizzuto and Howard all scored a pair of goals for the Bears, while Rizzuto and McCue each had a game-best four ground balls. Howard paced all players with six draw controls, while MegMarie Stanchi and goalie Mary Budri each had a pair of caused turnovers. In goal, Budri earned the win with 12 saves.
For Mount Holyoke, Flynn, Baldwin and Smith all had two goals apiece, while Rankin added a goal, a game-high four ground balls and a game-best three caused turnovers. Sophomore Chelsea Braz had two caused turnovers, while Flynn added a team-best four draw controls. In goal, junior Mia Wysocki recorded 12 saves.
Coast Guard owned a 33-27 advantage in shots, while both teams drew even with draw controls at 9-9. The Bears held a 28-21 edge in ground balls, while the Lyons were a near perfect 17-18 on clears.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Smith College at 6pm on the Turf Field. Coast Guard travels to MIT on Wednesday for a 5pm conference tilt.
