VIRGINIA BEACH -- It's all coming together for the Virginia Wesleyan College field hockey Marlins ... gradually.

A team that utilizes the talents of 15 sophomores and first-year players continued to step forward with strong efforts against two tough Maryland opponents in weekend competition at the National Training Center.  The Marlins got the offense rolling in a 6-4 loss to Stevenson University on Saturday and dropped a 3-1 decision to McDaniel College on Sunday.

Stevenson (4-1) produced three goals in a span of eight minutes to take a win away from the Marlins, as the scoring spurt helped the Mustangs to wipe out a 3-2 deficit.  Kaitlyn May (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) scored off a pass from Rachel Moots (Cream Ridge, N.J./Notre Dame) in the 52nd minute to give SU a 5-3 edge, but for only a few minutes.

Virginia Wesleyan continued to battle aggressively and pulled within a 5-4 score when rookie Taylor Lober (Wilmington, Del./Concord) (left) scored in the 56th minute.  But, momentum stayed with the Marlins briefly as Stevenson found the goal again just 41 seconds later as Katelyn Manocheh (Timonium, Md./Maryvale) scored to give the Mustangs their final margin of victory.

Virginia Wesleyan finished with a 20-19 edge in shots, including a 10-7 advantage in the second half.  Stevenson produced a slight 11-10 advantage in pernaly corners.  Junior goalie Chelsea Baker (Norfolk, Va./Granby)came through with five saves for the Marlins, and Kara Zimmerman (Odenton, Md./Arundel) recorded 10 for Stevenson.

The Marlins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game, scoring in the 16th minute when Lober played the ball in off a penalty corner to rookie Nikki Cuthbert (Morrisville, Pa./Fairless Hills Pennsbury), who finished it with a goal.  Five minutes later the Marlins scored again as rookie Jillian Gorman (Nassawadox, Va./Eastville Northampton) connected with sophomore Courtney Pollard (Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon), who put the ball into the cage.

After Stevenson scored on a May shot in the 24th minut, the Marlins jumped in front 3-1 when junior Courtney Eisert (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) got the ball to Lober for  score.  The Mustangs closed the gap with just 32 seconds remaining in the half as Katelyn Bowers (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) scored.

VWC picked up the aggressive effort again 24 hours later against McDaniel (2-2), which scored twice in the first 12 minutes to open up a 2-0 lead.  Virginia Wesleyan produced its share of scoring opportunities in the first half, including five penalty corners, but could not find an opening into the cage.

The Marlins (0-5) did cut the lead to 2-1 in the 42nd minute however, as junior Ashton Perry (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor)knocked the ball for her first goal of the season.  VWC continued to attack well in the half, producing five corners to the Terror's three, but could not find another goal.  McDaniel produced a padding goal in the 48th minute when Kathryn Corson (Ocean View, N.J./Ocean City) found an open lane behind the defense and scored off a pass from Paige Messersmith (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney).

McDaniel outshot the Marlins 22-13, but VWC finished with a 10-9 edge in penalty corners.  Baker recorded nine saves for the Marlins and Stephanie Thompson (Glen Burnie, Md./Chesapeake) produced five for McDaniel.  Sophomore Taylor Harding (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Collegiate) helped the VWC effort with two defensive saves and junior Tara White (Alexandria, Va./Thomas A. Edison) added one.

VWC returns to competition on Thursday, Sept. 16, opening Old Dominion Athletic Conference competition on the road in Ashland, Va., facing the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College at 4 p.m.

--AMDG--