BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Diana Banmann tallied two goals and added an assist to lead the Mount Holyoke College field hockey team past Simmons College, 4-0 in non-conference action on Wednesday. With the win, the Lyons move to 6-0 on the season. The Sharks, who saw goalkeeper Brianna Rastello make a career-high 23 saves, slips to 5-2 overall.
Banmann (Hannover, Germany) tested Rastello early, registering three shots in the opening two minutes of the game. The Lyons kept up the pressure with a corner and a flurry of shots by Kirsten Kilburn (North Brandford, Conn.), Charlotte Wagner (West Chester, Pa.) and Banmann.
The Sharks defense of Alexia Malone Oliver (Bristol, R.I.) and Avery Hines (Newburyport, Mass.) blocked shots by Sarah LaQuerre (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) and Banmann before Robin Powell (Richmond, Vt.) cleared the ball from the Sharks zone.
Simmons transitioned down the field and Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) recorded the Sharks first shot but it was blocked by a Lyons defender. First year Mary Neidhardt (Middlefield, Conn.) tested Lyons keeper Liz DiCesare (Westford, Mass.) twice but was denied. Simmons had their best opportunity of the half off a corner at 15:48, but Seneca Martensson's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) shot was blocked.
The Lyons broke the tie at 22:24 into the first half as Banmann collected a rebound off a shot by Julia Bell (Longmeadow, Mass.) and beat Rastello stick side. Mount Holyoke had three corners and eight shots in last ten minutes of the game but the Sharks defense kept 
their composure and defended the offensive attack to enter halftime down by one.
In the second half, Banmann tallied her second goal of the game off a rebound by Wagner at 50:01 before Wagner found the back of the net herself just two minutes later for a 3-0 Lyons lead. Mount Holyoke added their final goal off a corner and tip in by Jessica Taylor (West Springfield, Mass.).
With seven minutes remaining, Simmons junior Kelly Williamson (Natick, Mass.) sent a point-blank shot at Lyons net but goalkeeper Mariesa Mazzone (Gilroy, Calif.) made the stop. The Sharks were awarded corner but shots by Cronin and Williamson were blocked. Neidhardt took the Sharks final shot of the game with less than a minute to play but Mazzone was there to complete the shut out.
Mount Holyoke held a 43-8 advantage in shots and a 12-3 advantage in corners. DiCesare and Mazzone combined for four saves for the Lyons.
The Sharks return to the field on Saturday, Sep. 21 in the opening of North Atlantic Conference play when they host Saint Joseph's College of Maine at 12pm. The Lyons are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Castleton State College for a 12pm contest.
Story courtesy of Emma Dunn, Simmons Sports Information
