NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team overcame an early five-goal deficit as the host Lyons posted a 6-5 comeback victory over visiting Bridgewater State University on Monday night at frigid Nordin Field.
The Lyons improve to 2-4 on the season, while the Bears fall to 3-2.
Senior midfielder Katie Peters (Medway, Mass.) netted a pair of goals for the hosts, while freshman attack Maggie Dymes (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) added a goal and two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Molly Witten (Bethesda, Md.) made 13 saves to record her first win of the season for Wheaton. Eight of Witten's 13 stops came in the first half, and four came in the final six minutes of the game.
The Bears led 5-2 at the break as sophomore attack Victoria McDonough (Marshfield, Mass.) and senior attack Gabby Reinold (Braintree, Mass.) tallied two goals apiece in the opening stanza. Bridgewater potted the first five goals of the contest before Peters and freshman midfielder Casey Kaplan (Suffield, Conn.) scored for the Lyons to make it a three-goal game. BSU held a 17-9 shot advantage over the first 30 minutes.
The second half belonged to Wheaton as the Lyons kept the Bears off the scoreboard and limited the visitors to just five shots on goal in the period. Four of Bridgewater's five second-half shots on net came in the last six minutes.
After goals by sophomore attackers Kyra Schwartzman (Kennebunk, Maine) and Lilly Callahan (Wilbraham, Mass.) pulled the Lyons to within one, Peters knotted the score at 5-5 with her second marker of the evening with 8:09 left to play. Dymes then netted the game-winner off a feed from junior midfielder Kennelly Allerton (Unionville, Conn.) with 6:34 showing on the scoreboard to cap off the comeback win.
The Bears recorded six shots over the final 5:44, including four on goal, but Witten kept the ball out of the net with four saves including a big stop right before the horn sounded.
Bridgewater finished with a 28-20 shot advantage for the game as well as an 8-5 edge in draw controls.
Sophomore netminder Hayley Barner (Westwood, Mass.) turned aside 12 shots in the setback for the Bears who also received a goal from junior attack Mackenzie Manning (Hingham, Mass.).
In upcoming action, the Bears travel to the University of New England on Wednesday afternoon for a four o'clock game with the Nor'easters. The Lyons open NEWMAC play on Saturday when they head to Mount Holyoke College for a noontime game.