WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- Williams women's lacrosse could not overcome a difficult first half at home on Friday evening against the No. 8 Wesleyan Cardinals. After being held scoreless in the opening thirty minutes, the Ephs played inspired lacrosse in the second half, but the Cardinals' defense held strong late to preserve a 9-5 Wesleyan victory. With the loss, Williams drops to 1-3 on the season, while Wesleyan advances to 3-1 after the win.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Wesleyan took an early lead as Ellie Priesing netted a free-position shot just one minute into the game.
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Both defenses played a solid first quarter, as the Cardinals' Dylan Green scored the only other goal of the quarter on a nice low finish with 8:52 to play.
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The Cardinals took off in the second quarter, as four goals from four different players in a roughly seven minute span gave them a 6-0 lead. Addie Cummings got things started with 12:35 to go in the half on a point-blank finish, then Lindsey Diomede scored a low goal just 39 seconds later. Mya Waryas and Kiara Tangney each joined the party a few minutes later, and the Cardinals entered halftime up 6-0.
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Williams started the second half much more aggressively, as Sasha Landau found Katy McCullough inside, and McCullough scored to bring the score to 6-1 with 14:18 to play in the third quarter.
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After Wesleyan's Becca Dibble bounced in a free-position goal to make it 7-1, Reece Willison responded with a splendid individual move, depositing her shot low and right to cut the lead to 7-2 with 9:31 left in the third.
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Tangney re-upped the Wesleyan lead to 8-2 with a top-corner finish from close range, but once again, the Ephs responded. This time, Sydney Puntus found a cutting McCullough, who finished her shot low and right, drawing the score to 8-3 with over seven minutes to go in the third.
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After a long Cardinals possession ended with a nice goal from Sam DeLeo, Williams once again punched back. Ainsley Abel picked up a ground ball and cleared it up field, then forced a foul and fired a missile into the left netting on her free-position attempt. Hers was the final goal of the third quarter, as the Ephs outscored Wesleyan 4-3 in the frame to cut the deficit to 9-4.
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The Ephs were able to score first in the fourth quarter. Juliet Kilborn whipped a pass into the middle, finding Landau, who bounced her shot in from close-range to make it 9-5.
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Neither team was able to score again, as Williams's Caroline Pratt and Wesleyan's Izzy Weintraub made multiple saves to ice the score at 9-5.Â
NOTES
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The teams each took 23 shots in the match.
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Williams won the ground ball margin, 21-16, despite the loss.
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Both Pratt and Weintraub made a number of impressive saves. Weintraub finished with nine saves, and Pratt with eight.
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McCullough and Landau led the Ephs in points, with two apiece.
Williams next competes on Friday, March 21, in an away contest against the Trinity Bantams. Trinity is 2-1 on the season, coming off of a 19-6 loss to Tufts.
