VIRGINIA BEACH -- A five goal surge midway through the second half Sunday lifted Virginia Wesleyan College's women's lacrosse Marlins to a thrilling 16-12 victory over Maryland's Goucher College in the VWC season opener.

Competing on Foster Field at the Trinder Center, the Marlins never trailed the Gophers (0-2) en route to avenging a 16-14 loss to Goucher last season in Maryland.  Sunday's win tied the series at three wins for each school in a series that began in 2000.

Senior stalwart Natalie Belva (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) was key in the late scoring by the Marlins, as she produced three consecutive assists for goals that snapped a 10-all tie.  Junior Mari Carmichael (Seattle, Wash./Nathan Hale) was on the receiving end of two of the assists, firing in back-to-back goals in a matter of 13 seconds to push Virginia Wesleyan into a 12-10 lead.

Twenty-six seconds after Carmichael's second goal, senior Courtney Shelton (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) found the back of the net to make it 13-10, assisted by Belva.  Twenty-seven seconds later, it was Belva doing the scoring, ripping the ball past the goalie to make it a 14-10 Marlin lead.  Junior Nikki Salyers (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) assisted on the goal.

Virginia Wesleyan came back a couple minutes later to push out to a 15-10 lead when Shelton scored again, set up this time by rookie Candace Carey (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle). 

Goucher came back to tack on goals from Hannah Khin (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) and Rita Meissner (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers), but it was not enough as time was on the side of Virginia Wesleyan.  The Marlins found their final goal with 17 seconds on the clock, when Shelton scored again off a Belva assist.

Virginia Wesleyan scored the first goal of the game when senior Courtney Williams (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) tallied unassisted just 23 seconds into the game.  The Marlins led by as many as four goals at one point of the first half, but Goucher tied the game twice in each half.  Anneke Ossorio (Lafayette, Colo./Kent Denver School) hit for consecutive goals for 9-all tie in the second half and Khin scored unassisted with 18:32 remaining to make it 10-all, before Virginia Wesleyan sparked its final run.

Shelton led VWC scoring with a career-high six goals.  Salyers and Williams added three goals each, Carmichael finished with two, and Belva and Carey contributed with one each.  Belva tied a career-high with five assists.  Carey, Carmichael and Salyers added two each.  Williams finished with one.

Khin led all scoring with seven goals.

Virginia Wesleyan finished with a 30-26 edge in shots and a 26-18 advantage in ground balls.  Senior Michelle Mace (Dumfries, Va./Woodbridge Forest Park) started in goal for the Marlins and produced 12 saves.  Ashley Shaner (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) had seven saves for Goucher.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Wednesday, Feb. 29, hosting another Maryland foe in St. Mary's College.  Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the Trinder Center.

--AMDG--