MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Middlebury College women’s lacrosse team on Saturday scored four straight times to start the second half and break open a one-goal game en route to a 10-6 victory at 18th-ranked Wesleyan (4-2). The Panthers, at 4-0 ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division III, will host RPI on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and visit Bowdoin at noon on Saturday.
Senior Mary O’Connell, who scored her 100th career goal during the game, scored the game’s first three goals in the first 7:30. Georgia Carroll scored less than a minute later for a four-goal edge.
But the Cardinals rallied to make it 5-4 at the break, with three goals in the half’s final 3:36, including a Baca Phillips tally with five seconds left.
Early in the second half Panther middie Casey O’Neill scored twice in a span of 59 seconds to make it 7-4. O’Connell made it 8-4 at 23:33, and Bea Eppler chipped into make it a five-goal Panther lead. After a Cardinal goal at 12:20, Sara DiCenso talked on the final Panther score.
O’Connell paced Middlebury with four goals and one assist, while Carroll and O’Neill each scored twice and recorded an assist. Panther defender Evie Keating led all players with five ground balls and caused three turnovers, while O’Neill collected three draw controls. Abby Manning paced the Cardinals with a pair of tallies.
Kate Furber made three saves for the, while Grace McCann made seven saves for the Cardinals. Middlebury held advantages of 22-14 in shots and 15-12 in ground balls.