Wheaton College of Norton, Mass., delivered a dominant performance on the road Saturday, Sept. 6, shutting out Keene State 4-0 at KSC’s Dr. Ron Butcher Field. With the win, the Lyons improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Owls fall to 1-3.
Wheaton got things going just before halftime, with junior forward Gina Trovato netting her first goal of the season in the 44-minute mark. Trovato finished a perfectly timed pass from Ali Roche, giving the Lyons a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
The visitors wasted no time building on their momentum in the second half. Just three minutes in, Karina Contreras doubled the lead with a confident finish from the penalty spot following a foul in the box. Alexandra Therrien added her first goal of the season at minute 56, converting on an assist from Kate Rafferty to make it 3-0. Roche, who had earlier assisted the opening goal, capped off the scoring at minute 71 with her first goal of the year, assisted by Gina DeBeradinis.
Wheaton outshot Keene State 17-9, including 10 shots on goal to the Owls’ two. The Lyons also held a significant edge in corner kicks, 8-1. Keene State’s goalkeeper was busy in the first half, making six saves, while Wheaton’s defense limited the Owls’ chances throughout the match.
At the 81-minute mark of the match, heavy rain forced a stoppage in the action with the Owls down 4-0. Both teams decided the four-goal lead was enough to call the game, and called the game final with a 4-0 score in favor of Wheaton College.
Keene State returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 13, as it hosts Little East Conference opponent Western Connecticut State University for a conference showdown.
Jonathan Smyers can be contacted at
