NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida College officially welcomed field hockey to their ranks as a varsity sport on Wednesday night, recognizing the first year program in their first ever home game, then saw the Mustangs erupt offensively to defeat Wheelock College 5-1 at Alumni Field.

Athletic Director Matt Burke and Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) commissioner Joe Walsh were on hand to accept commemorative game balls from captains Brenna Santos (E. Falmouth, Mass.) and Nikki Kinneen (Salem, N.H.), representing the Mustang athletic department, of which field hockey becomes the 16^th varsity program, and the GNAC, which the Mustangs join this year, the inaugural season of field hockey for the conference as well.

Not long after the ceremonies, the Mustangs made a statement that they are a first-year team to be taken seriously, getting on the board against the Wildcats less than a minute into the contest with the first of two goals by freshman Hayley Napier (Fairhaven, Mass.).

Napier slammed home a shot into the back of an open net, after classmate Ashley Tice (South Berwick, Maine) found her from close range.

Tice added a goal later in the game, her third of the season, while Lexi Minicucci (Westfield, Mass.) scored to keep pace with Napier, as the two co-lead the team with four goals apiece. Minicucci added two assists in the game as well.

Her goal doubled Mount Ida's advantage in the 22^nd minute, when she scored off of a penalty corner delivered by Danielle Townsley (Greenfield, Mass.).

Freshman Lauren Kelly (Scituate, Mass.) notched her first goal of the season a few minutes before halftime when she snatched up the rebound off of a shot by Tice and slotted it past Wheelock freshman keeper Nicole Miranda (Westbrook, Maine).

The Wildcats were the first to get on the board after break, needing just under four minutes into the second half to convert when Jen Ryan (Bellingham, Mass.) finished off a shot on a penalty corner from freshman Abby Smargon (Mansfield, Mass.).

Minicucci, however, helped ensure that the Mustangs would seal their special night with a win by setting up two goals within a three minute span. Minicucci used her speed to streak past her defenders down the right side and center the ball in both the 63^rd and 66^th minutes. The first time, her effort led to a goal by Tice, while Napier finished off her brace, and the game's scoring, on an identical play just minutes later.

The Mustangs outshot the Wildcats 27-6, though Wheelock had a 6-5 advantage in penalty corner chances.

Santos made one stop in net to earn the victory and, like her team, improve to 2-3 on the year.

Miranda made nine saves in a losing effort for the Wildcats.

Mount Ida returns to conference play this weekend and will host their first GNAC game ever when they welcome Rivier in for a 2:00 pm start, part of a double-header at Alumni Field on Saturday that starts when women's soccer battles Anna Maria at 11:00 AM.

The Wildcats (1-4) will take an extended break until October 2^nd when they host Salve Regina at 8:00 pm.