After six nonconference games, the Emerson women’s soccer team began its NEWMAC slate with a win. Facing the Wheaton College Lyons on Saturday, Emerson claimed a 1-0 victory behind a second-half header.

After 82 minutes of stifling defense and aggressive offense on both sides, the Lions broke through with a header by junior defender Carmen Talavera, assisted by first-year defender Kate Baldock.

Wheaton’s offense was aggressive early on in the game, with the Lyons taking their first shot ten seconds into the match—a center attempt that missed left. Their defense was equally strong, trapping the Lions in the opening minutes and at times preventing them from crossing the midfield line.

Emerson had several quality plays in the first half, including a hustling center shot by sophomore forward Kayla Sweeney that barely missed left in the 30th minute. Two more Lion attempts by Talavera and Sweeney also missed the back of the net.

Wheaton also had its fair share of chances, including a bottom-center shot that sophomore goalkeeper Haley Foreman saved in the 38th minute. By the end of the period, Emerson tallied ten shots in the first half to Wheaton’s five.

The moments leading up to Talavera’s goal were tense, as the Lions and Lyons exchanged decent chances that barely missed the net or were saved by their respective keepers. Senior midfielder Linae Bezdek found first-year midfielder Abby Cockerill on the left side in the 70th minute, and as Cockerill’s shot curved toward the bottom right, Wheaton’s goalkeeper made a diving save.

The visitors had an equally close call ten minutes later. While sprinting in transition, a Wheaton shot from the left side careened toward the goal and bounced off the top post, leading to a collective exhale from the crowd—Wheaton’s of disappointment and Emerson’s of relief.

Baldock soon found Talavera across the box for the Lions’ lone goal in the 83rd minute, with the home crowd celebrating the much-needed momentum booster.

Following Talavera’s goal, the Lions hoped to put the game out of reach, but the left side attempts by Cockerill and first-year forward Kelsey Yoshikawa found the hands of the Lyon’s keeper. Wheaton had vied for the equalizer in the final ten seconds, though Emerson’s defense foiled that opportunity.

All told, Emerson finished with 22 shots, including 15 on goal, while holding Wheaton—who averaged 18 shots per game heading into the match—to seven attempts.

Though head coach David Suvak was impressed with the team’s first-half performance, he said they did “even better” in the final 45 minutes.

“They came out and dominated possession, created many scoring chances in the second half,” he added. “I wish they were just a little bit cleaner, but I liked the way we came out and attacked.”

Suvak also appreciated how the Lions matched Wheaton’s speed, adding, “We team-defended them pretty well in small groups, and I think we minimized their opportunities. … The team did a nice job there.”

The Lions’ win came after a 2-2-2 start in non-conference action, which included a ten-goal showing over their first two games followed by a string of ties and losses in their next four.

“[The first two games] showed us that we have the ability to create and score chances,” Suvak said. “Then, we underperformed—especially against Endicott, where we didn’t create any chances at all, and we needed to fix that.”

He also took a silver lining to the Lions’ 2-0 loss against nationally-ranked Amherst College.

“Historically, they’re a better squad than us. But we stuck with those guys, and we played them [a] very competitive 90 minutes. Even though we lost, it was the competitive nature of the team that I liked, and we brought it to this conference game,” said Suvak.

Going forward, Suvak wants to continue working on tactics on both sides of the ball.

“I want to work on creating finishing opportunities that are very crisp,” he said. “That everybody understands what’s happening, and where to shoot and how to finish, so those are the things that I’m going to think about.”

Next week, the Lions head to Newport, R.I., to face Salve Regina University on Sept. 27 at 12 p.m.