WELLESLEY, Mass. (Oct. 31, 2012) – Powered by a goal in each half, the Wellesley Blue posted a 3-2 victory over Mount Holyoke College in the Quarterfinal game of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament. The third-seeded Blue move to 12-7 on the season and advance to Saturday's semifinal round against second-seeded MIT at Babson (3pm). The Lyons conclude their season with a 7-10 record.
Wellesley opened the game's first lead as senior Emily Lewis (Weston, Conn.) put one past Lyons keeper Anne O'Byrne (Newbury, N.H.) at 12:30. Off a corner by junior Kaitlyn Kirkaldy (Middlebury, Vt.), senior Allison Robbins (Bennington, Vt.) gained control at the top of the arc and shifted left to send a pass across to Lewis. Taking one step over, Lewis got a beat on the goalie and put it past.
The Blue made it a 2-0 advantage at 16:53 after a corner shot by Kirkaldy, shot out to Robbins at the top. Shifting in to the left, she found first year Hannah Flesch (Rockville, Md.), who sent the ball through a gap and into the right corner.
Mount Holyoke continued to press and cut the deficit at the 24:00 mark of the half as sophomore Kirsten Kilburn (North Branford, Conn.) fired a shot in off a corner from senior Angelica Pascual (Lawrence, Mass.). Wellesley senior Maddie Whitaker (Hollis, N.H.) made a great defensive save, but the ball came loose to Pascual, who buried it in.
The Lyons had a chance to even it with less than a minute remaining, but a beautiful kick save in front by netminder Brit Mscisz (Topsfield, Mass.) off a rifled shot from Kilburn at the top of the arc, kept it at a 2-1 Wellesley advantage heading into halftime.
In the second half of action, Robbins – who assisted on each goal in the first half – added a tally of her own at 44:21 after she fired a shot into the right side of the net off a perfectly placed corner by Kirkaldy to make it a 3-1 game.
Wellesley continued to press as Mount Holyoke switched goaltenders following Robbins' goal, sending in sophomore Emma Ross (Glenshaw, Pa.) in relief of O'Byrne. Ross immediately made an impact, making back-to-back saves on the Blue off shots from Lewis and Robbins.
Mount Holyoke closed the gap further with less than two minutes remaining as first year Sarah LaQuerre (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) found the ball at the top of the arc and fired a shot into the left corner.
The Lyons continued to press in the offensive zone, but it wasn't enough as the Blue held off MHC for the victory. For the game, the Blue held a decisive, 20-4 edge in shots, while holding an 11-3 lead in corners.
In goal, Mscisz was forced to make one stop in the win, while O'Byrne (4 saves) and Ross (6 saves) combined to make 10 stops in the game.
