VIRGINIA BEACH -- Six goals scored in each half Saturday carried Virginia Wesleyan College's women's lacrosse team to a 12-2 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory over Randolph College's WildCats on Foster Field at the Trinder Center.

Courtney Shelton (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) emerged as the offensive leader for the host Marlins (3-4, 1-0) scoring a pair of goals and assisting on two others.  Marlins scored at least one goal each, with Tara Harding (Waterford, N.Y./Clifton Park Shenendehowa) and Nikki Salyers (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) firing in two goals each.

Salyers and Shelton gave Virginia Wesleyan a 2-0 lead, but Randolph (1-5, 0-2) cut that lead in half with a goal from Ashley Edwards (Sumerduck, Va./Liberty-Bealeton) with 22:34 remaining in the first half.  Less than a minute later, the Marlins answered however, when Anna Kate Collier (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) scored on a free position shot.

Collier's goal was the first of seven in a row for the Marlins, who led 6-1 at halftime and 9-1 with 11:24 remaining to be played. Edwards scored again for Randolph to make it a 9-2 game, but Jen Cathcart (Woodbridge, Va./C.D. Hylton), Harding and Natalie Belva (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) scored consecutive goals to close out the scoring for VWC.

VWC won 12 draw control battles, led by Shelton with three.  Harding aided the VWC effort with seven ground balls, while rookie Kaitlyn Dozier (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) picked up five. 

Michelle Mace (Dumfries, Va./Woodbridge Forest Park) and Brittany MacKnew (Abingdon, Md./Bel Air)each played a half in front of the goal for VWC.  Mace recorded three saves and MacKnew added one.

Ashley Stevens (Leicester, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) played in goal for Randolph and produced eight saves.

Virginia Wesleyan completes again on Wednesday, Mar. 23, hosting the Hornets of Lynchburg College at 6 p.m. at the Trinder Center.

--AMDG--