NORTON, MA. – Senior Sadie Tschider (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) became Smith College's all-time leader in career assists as the Pioneers delivered a statement win on the road, downing Wheaton 17–8 in a key NEWMAC showdown on Saturday afternoon at Nordin Field.

Smith improves to 9–6 overall and 5–3 in the NEWMAC, strengthening its postseason resume, while Wheaton drops to 8–5 (5–2).

The milestone came in the closing minute of the first quarter. With the game tied 3–3, Tschider delivered a perfectly timed assist to Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School), who finished the play in stride to put the Pioneers ahead for the first time. The assist, her first of two on the afternoon, marked the moment Tschider etched her name atop the program's all-time assists list.

Wheaton opened the game with a 3–0 run, but the Pioneers settled in and found their rhythm late in the first quarter. Sanders sparked the rally with her first goal at 5:58, followed quickly by back-to-back scores from Hawk and Fitzgerald. The late-quarter surge gave Smith a 4–3 lead heading into the second.

The two teams traded blows in a high-scoring second quarter. Fitzgerald notched a man-up goal to make it 5–4, and Smith surged ahead once again with goals from Hawk, Sanders, and Jenna Paczkowski (Jupiter, FL/Choate Rosemary Hall). The Lyons briefly pulled within two at 9–7 but it would be the final tally of the half for the hosts, as Smith's defense took over from there.

The third quarter was all Pioneers. Behind a suffocating defensive effort and lights-out goalkeeping from Brooke Testa (Pittstown, NJ/Delaware Valley) (9 saves), Smith held Wheaton scoreless while pouring in four unanswered goals. Fitzgerald dominated the period, recording a natural hat trick with three straight goals, including two dodging efforts and a top-shelf rip off a quick restart.

Smith sealed the win with a balanced fourth quarter, scoring five more times to cap off the team's highest offensive output since March. Sanders completed her four-goal day with two more in the final frame, while Ferrucci and Butterick each added goals. Tschider's second assist came on Ferrucci's finish with 3:57 to play.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) led all scorers with 5 goals and 5 draw controls.

• Layna Fitzgerald (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) recorded 5 goals, including a third-quarter hat trick.

• Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School) added 4 goals, bringing her season total to 50.

• Sadie Tschider (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) recorded 2 assists, setting the new Smith all-time record.

• Brooke Testa (Pittstown, NJ/Delaware Valley) made 9 saves in a complete-game performance.

• Smith held Wheaton scoreless for over 31 minutes spanning the second to fourth quarters.

• The Pioneers outshot the Lyons 36–31 and committed just 11 turnovers.

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