VIRGINIA BEACH -- Two second half goals carried Virginia Wesleyan College's field hockey Marlins to a 2-0 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory over Bridgewater College's Eagles on Saturday.

Rain fell throughout the chilly afternoon at the U.S. National Training Center, but it failed to dampen the effort by the Marlins, who produced a consistent offensive attack throughout the game.

Taylor Lober (Wilmington, Del./Concord), Jillian Gorman (Nassawadox, Va./Eastville Northampton), Amelia Goebel (Virginia Beach/Mercersburg, Pa.), and Tanya Puccio (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark) were among the VWC players who kept the ball moving toward the Bridgewater goal.

BC (1-4, 0-1) did what it could to hold off the Marlins (2-3, 1-0) throughout the first half, sparked by the defensive play of Joan Burleson (Newport News, Va./Menchville) and Colleen Dickson (Virginia Beach/Salem). 

Despite playing without a score in the first half, Virginia Wesleyan came out attacking quickly in the second half and saw the effort pay off when Lober passed the ball from the right to a charging Nikki Cuthbert (Morrisville, Pa./Fairless Hills Pennsbury), who knocked it into the back of the game with just 1:17 expended in the half.

Four minutes later the Marlins made it a 2-0 lead with Cuthbert came through with a pass to Allie Lanna (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) for the shot and score.

While VWC dominated possession time in the first half, Bridgewater played the Marlins evenly in the second half, but could not break the defense. Jenny Wilkins (Chesapeake, Va./Virginia Beach Bishop Sullivan Catholic), Lauren Gold (Glendora, Calif./Glendora), Valerie Nowlan (Virginia Beach/Salem), Evan Bunting (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson), Danielle Pellerin (Long Valley, N.J./Chester West Morris), and Tara White (Alexandria, Va./Thomas A. Edison) led a VWC defense that contained the Eagles from start to finish.

VWC finished with a 9-7 advantage in shot and a 6-3 edge in penalty corners.  Goalie Kirsten Olson (Springfield, Va./Lorton South County) produced three saves for the Marlins and Taylor Waddell (Reedsville, Pa./Indian Valley) finished with four saves for Bridgewater.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Wednesday, Sept. 21, playing at Christopher Newport University in a non-conference game at 7 p.m.

--AMDG--