By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Senior Jessica Chamberlin (Bow, N.H.) scored eight goals to lead the Wheaton College women's lacrosse team to an opening-day
win over Bridgewater State University.

Chamberlin had five of her goals in the first period as the Lyons defeated the Bears, 18-9, at Mazzaferro Field Wednesday afternoon.

Junior Georgia Qua (Suffield, Conn.) added six goals for Wheaton, which lost to BSU last season.

For the Bears, sophomores Lizzy Deacon (Amesbury, Mass.) and Sophia Fleurent (Fairhaven, Mass.) had two goals apiece.

Wheaton held a 9=1 lead after the first 15 minutes, scoring the first six goals of the game.

The closest BSU got was 10-4 in the second period when it outscored Wheaton, 4-2.

The Lyons held a 30-21 edge in shots and 26-16 in shots on goal and 17-12 in draw controls.

Wheaton senior goalkeeper Katie Geis (Duxbury, Mass.) made seven saves.

BSU sophomore Sara Skaff (Lowell, Mass.) and junior Gianna Scarpelli (Medford, Mass.) each played 30 minutes in goal, stopping three and five shots, respectively.

Wheaton took its 6-0 lead in the opening 7:40 with Chamberlin scoring three times while Qua, senior Sara Spielman (Norwalk, Conn.) and freshman Lucy Knof (Cologne, North-Rehin-Westphalia, Germany) scoring one apiece.

Freshman Kate Fitzpatrick (Methuen, Mass.) scored her first collegiate goal for BSU with 4:16 left in the period, but Wheaton responded with two goals by Chamberlin and one by Qua for the 9-1 lead.

After sophomore Claudia Shoemaker (Woodstock, Vt.) made it 10-1 in the second minute of the second period, BSU scored three straight goals.

Deacon netted a goal from Fitzpatrick, senior Meredith Sylvia (South Dartmouth, Mass.) followed with a goal and Fleurant also scored, the goals coming in a span of 2:06.

Chamberlin made it 11-5 with 1:51 to go in the half before senior Ashley Silva (Rowley, Mass) scored with 58 seconds left, making it 11-5 at the midway point.

Qua scored twice in 1:56 early in the second half for a 13-5 lead before Fleurant scored with 3:45 left in the third period.

After goals by Chamberlin and Qua made it 15-6, sophomore Taylor Carter (East Walpole, Mass.) added a BSU goal with 1:08 remaining.

Senior Katie Lamothe (Dartmouth, Mass.) and Deacon, assisted by Silva, scored for the Bears in the fourth period while Qua, senior Natalie Bilodeau (Scarborough, Maine) and Chamberlin had the Wheaton goals.

Wheaton held a 30-21 shot advantage for the game as well as a 17-12 edge in draw controls.

The Lyons converted 6 of 11 free position shots while the Bears went just 1-for-5 on the free position.

Fleurent and Wheaton senior Katie Hallee (Norway, Maine) notched seven draw controls apiece to lead all players. Fleurent also recorded three caused turnovers.

The Bears will be home again on Saturday at 1 p.m. to face Salve Regina University.

Wheaton is idle until Feb. 28 when it travels to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for a noon game.