Wheaton Women's Soccer Advances to Fourth Straight NCAA Sweet 16
Lyons Will Face Tufts in Sectional Semifinal at Oneonta State
NORTON, MA- For the fourth consecutive season and fifth time in six years, the Wheaton College women's soccer team has advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Lyons, who are ranked 20th nationally and third in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), will face Tufts University in a sectional semifinal Saturday at Oneonta State College (NY) at 1:30 p.m.

With a win, 18-4-2 Wheaton would face the winner of Saturday's other sectional semifinal contest between Oneonta State and the University of Rochester on Sunday and fight for an opportunity to earn a trip to its second straight Final Four. The Lyons advanced to the Sweet 16 after blanking Worcester State College, 4-0 and Western Connecticut State University, 1-0 in the first and second round, respectively, this past weekend at Mirrione Stadium.

Tufts, which is ranked 13th nationally and second in the region, handed the Lyons a 3-2 loss in September. The teams have met once before in the NCAA Tournament, when the Jumbos racked up a 3-1 win in the 2000 New England Regional final. At 14-3-1 overall, Tufts has stumbled following a 10-1 start, as the Jumbos have posted a 4-2-1 mark since late October. The Jumbos picked up a pair of shutout victories at home during the NCAA Tournament this past weekend, knocking off Johnson & Wales University, 3-0 and Bates College, 1-0.

Wheaton returns to Oneonta State after taking down Middlebury College, 2-1 and the hosts, 3-0 during the sectional semifinal and final last season. Since beginning the season 4-4, Wheaton has gone 14-0-2, with the 16-game unbeaten streak good for fifth in the program's 27-year history. The Lyons have clamped down on defense since a 2-2 tie against Babson College on October 18. After allowing the Beavers their two goals in a 5:11 span, Wheaton has yielded just two tallies during the last 767:22 of action over nine matches.

The Lyons hold a 10-5-1 all-time record during the NCAA Tournament, including 4-2-1 away from home. They hold a 73-15 scoring advantage this fall while averaging 3.04 goals and yielding 0.63 markers. Wheaton has posted 17 shutouts and outscored opponents, 64-5 during the last 1,689:22 over a 19-game stretch. Of the 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament, only three have exceeded Wheaton's 73 goals, and none have more than the Lyons' 85 assists. The Blue and White is the only remaining squad with four 26-point scorers, the only whose top six point scorers are underclassmen, and the last to be led in assists by a freshman.

Wheaton is paced offensively by four sophomores, as Lauren Konopka (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross), the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player of the Year, has a league-best 17 goals and 44 points, Jenna Rabesa (Teaticket, MA/Falmouth) has 11 assists and 29 points, Julie McLane (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) has 11 goals and 28 points, and Ashley Furr (Chicopee, MA/Cathedral) has 10 goals and 26 points.

With a conference-high 12 assists, freshman Angelamaria Viscomi (Newton, MA/Newton North) has started all 24 games in the midfield, and both of her goals have gone as game-winners this postseason. Sophomore Jenna Stiegler (Madison, WI/Middleton) leads all defenders with five goals and 14 assists, while senior Teresa LeBel (Middleton, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon) and sophomore Erin Davis (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) each have six assists and play integral roles in their backfield positions. Sophomore keeper Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) completes the defense with a 0.63 goals against average and 12 shutouts.

In nine years at Wheaton, head coach Luis Reis has compiled an overall mark of 175-27-6 (.856), placing him among the nation's elite for highest winning percentage among active women's soccer coaches in Division III.