NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL / NEWMAC TOURNAMENT DIGITAL PROGRAM
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) have announced the pairings for the upcoming NEWMAC Women's Soccer Tournament and Mount Holyoke College earned the sixth-seed in this year's field. The Lyons will travel to third-seeded Babson College for on Tuesday. Game time is set for 1:30pm.
Led by ninth-year head coach Kanae Haneishi, the Lyons are currently 9-6-3 overall, going 4-3-3 in NEWMAC play. Mount Holyoke has had a number of outstanding efforts this season, the most notable coming against Babson (0-0 2OT), Rensselaer (3-1), Wellesley (1-0), Springfield (1-0 OT) as well as Smith and WPI (1-1 2OT). This year's tournament berth marks the first for the Lyons since the 2009 season.
The Lyons are among the NEWMAC's best in several categories, including first in saves (148), second in shot percentage (.147) and fourth in shutouts (6). MHC is also fifth in fewest goals allowed (19), sixth in goals scored (29) and seventh in assists (17) and goals against average (1.01).
Individually, the Lyons are led in scoring by first year forward Sara Sanaú Ruiz (Zaragoza, Spain/P.P. Dominicos - Cardenal Xavierre), who has 15 goals and an assist for 31 points. She has also posted 83 shots, including 40 on goal, with five game-winning tallies. A NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Week honoree, she ranks second in the conference in goals, points and shots on goal. She is also third in the NEWMAC in shots and shots on goal.
Senior forward Ashleigh Hartsock (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) is currently second overall with six goals and five assists for 17 points. She is currently fourth in the NEWMAC in assists and sixth in game-winning goals (3). Sophomore midfielders Liz Rose and Suz Rose (South Hamilton, Mass./Hamilton-Wenham Regional) round out the top-three, both have two goals and two assists for six points on the season.
Defensively, Mount Holyoke has been anchored by junior captain Zoe Marshall (Mississauga, Ont./Cawthra Park Secondary School) who is 8-5-3 on the season. She owns a 0.77 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. Marshall has made 134 saves over 1527:42 minutes played, while also recording five shutouts.
Among the NEWMAC leaders, Marshall is the conference leader in saves and save percentage. She is also fifth in minutes played, sixth in wins, seventh in goals against average and eighth in fewest goals allowed. She was a two-time NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Week during the regular season.
The Lyons are back in action on Tuesday when they compete in the NEWMAC Tournament Quarterfinals at Babson at 1:30pm. This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, which ended in a 0-0 double-overtime draw in South Hadley on September 19.
The winner of Tuesday's game advances to Saturday's Semifinals where they will face the winner of the #2 Wheaton/#7 Smith match-up, also to be played on Tuesday. Saturday's game time will be either at 1:30pm or 3:30pm in Cambridge, Mass., on the campus of top-seeded MIT.
