SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College lacrosse team scored four straight goals to close within a goal of rival Wellesley College, but the visiting Blue outscored the host Lyons 3-0 over the final 20 minutes for a 10-6 NEWMAC victory Saturday afternoon on the MHC Turf.
Wellesley (5-10, 3-5 NEWMAC) was led by an immense effort by midfielder Liz Sugg, who posted three goals, one assist, three caused turnovers, five ground balls and five draw controls. Finley Tipton and Camille Francis added two goals apiece. Anna Tutek and Julee Sharma had five caused turnovers apiece, as Wellesley caused 24 Lyons giveaways in the game.
First-year Emi Bisson (Chester, Conn.) countered with three goals and three assists for Mount Holyoke (3-11, 0-8 NEWMAC), a season-high six points in a conference game for the standout rookie. Sophomore goalie Emma Tower (Dover, N.H.) made 16 saves in a standout performance, and first-year Taylor Dunn (San Francisco, Calif.) had four of Mount Holyoke's 13 caused turnovers in the game, in addition to a game-high seven ground balls.
Wellesley led 3-1 after one quarter, and went ahead 6-1 over the first five minutes of the second quarter with goals by Sugg, Willa McGough and Phoebe Calero.
Mount Holyoke ended the Blue run on the ensuing draw, as first-year Elle Mader (Cincinnati, Ohio) converted a catch-and-shoot in traffic with a feed from Emi Bisson. Sugg answered that score with her second goal of the game just 35 seconds later, returning Wellesley's lead to five, at 7-2, with 8:53 left in the half.
But Emi Bisson won the ensuing draw and fed sophomore captain Ella Phillips (Sandwich, Mass.) for the score, closing the gap to 7-3.
Emi Bisson won the next draw but then drew a yellow card on her ensuing shot attempt. The Lyons went down by two players shortly after, as junior captain Hannah Bisson (South Hadley, Mass.) also drew a yellow, but Mount Holyoke rode out the disadvantage with no scores allowed. Tower made three saves over the final 5:21 of the second quarter as Mount Holyoke closed the gap to 7-5 at intermission, with Emi Bisson scoring two goals in the final minute of the half: first on an assist from sophomore captain Madison Millyan (Winchester, Mass.) with 46 seconds remaining, and then on a free-position attempt with 14 seconds left.
Tower made four more saves in the first nine minutes of the second half, while the Lyons closed within one score at 7-6 with 5:33 left in the third period, as Emi Bisson set up Millyan with an open shot from the outside for the goal.
Sugg answered Mount Holyoke's run of four straight goals with a free-position shot awarded with 3:37 to go in the third and the Lyons a player down after a yellow card.
Tower made five more saves in the fourth period, but Wellesley earned a crucial 9-4 advantage in shots and 7-1 edge in shots on goal in the period, as the Blue effectively ran out the clock on the Lyons and increased their lead with goals by Tipton and Shell.
Both teams shot at a 25 percent success rate, but Wellesley had a 40-24 advantage in shots attempted. Hannah Pangborn started in goal for Wellesley and allowed five goals with four saves in 30 minutes. Anna Blake Patrick made four saves and allowed just one goal in the second half.
The Lyons will look for a NEWMAC win at Clark University Wednesday at 7pm in Worcester, for the season's last game.
