Wheaton Wire

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of Wheaton Athletics Department The Wheaton women's soccer team of '06-'07 won their 8th consecutive season conference title and NEWMAC.

Women's soccer appears to be poised for another successful season. Last year, the Lyons took their eighth consecutive regular season conference title and went on to win the NEWMAC postseason tournament for the sixth time in program history, earning a place in the Division III NCCA Tournament.

Women's soccer opened their 2007 campaign by winning three non-conference games at Mirrione Stadium. They went on to drub Simmons on Friday, August 31, beating the Sharks 9-1.

Sunday's win against Worcester State wasn't quite as easy; going into halftime down 1-0, Wheaton responded with three unanswered goals in the second half to take away a 3-1 victory.

"That was a great comeback win. Our team showed great character and resilience so early in the year," said Head Coach Luis Reis.

Last Wednesday Wheaton hosted Endicott and posted a strong 2-0 win.

The wins against Worcester State and Endicott are particularly satisfying because both schools did well in their respective conferences last fall. Worcester State finished second in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) while Endicott took first in the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC). Both teams competed in the NCAA Tournament.

Wheaton will face three other non-conference NCAA qualifiers this fall: Western Connecticut State, Husson, and Amherst. Coach Reis speaks to this as a strength of his program: "We do not put soft teams on our schedule. We do not intend to fool anyone with playing easy teams and thus inflating our record."

His words are backed by the numbers. Wheaton's non-conference opponents this season had a combined record last fall of 138-52-13, good for a .712 winning percentage. The other NEWMAC teams are only good enough for .479 mark, with combined record of 72-79-12. That adds up to a combined record of all opponents being 210-131-25, a .608 clip.

A strong non-conference schedule remains a top priority for the soccer team because it paves the easiest road for qualifying for the NCAA's.

While beating conference foes is vital, having strong non-conference competition is essential for a team in Wheaton's position. With the NEWMAC competition not adding up to much, facing tough schools outside of the conference keeps the team competitive. It prepares them for success in the NCAA's, when it really counts.

As for the schedule ahead, Wheaton plays the third of three consecutive road games, traveling on Thursday, September 13th to Rhode Island College. They open up their conference schedule September 22 against Smith. The remainder of the team's games will be played within the NEWMAC conference commencing with Amherst on September 26 and at home against Gordon College on October 18.

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