SWEET BRIAR, Va. -- Senior Courtney Shelton tied a career-high by scoring six goals Saturday as Virginia Wesleyan College's women's lacrosse team won a third consecutive game, defeated host Sweet Briar College 14-8 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference competition.

Shelton (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) (right) scored twice in the first half as the Marlins (6-8, 4-3 ODAC) moved out to a 6-4 lead.  She tacked on four more goals in the second half, helping VWC to its final margin of victory.

Sweet Briar (4-9, 0-6 ODAC) stayed within two goals at 7-5 and 8-6, but two consecutive Shelton goals at 16:26 and 12:52 opened up a 10-6 lead for the Marlins. 

Jessie Edington came back for the host Vixens to score to cut the lead to 10-7, but Virginia Wesleyan pulled away for good with four straight goals from Nikki Salyers (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park), Natalie Belva (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty), Candace Carey (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle), and Shelton to post the Marlins' largest lead of the game at 14-7.

Salyers finished with three goals for the Marlins and Belva added two.  Taylor Harding (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Collegiate) and Jenn Cathcart (Woodbridge, Va./C.D. Hylton) added a goal each.  Belva led VWC with three assists.

Edington topped Sweet Briar scoring with four goals.

Virginia Wesleyan posted a 33-19 advantage in shots.  Michelle Mace (Dumfries, Va./Woodbridge Forest Park) recorded three saves in goal for the Marlins.  Caroline Baker (Virginia Beach/Norfolk Academy) finished with 10 saves for Sweet Briar.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, April 14, hosting Bridgewater College at 2 p.m. in and ODAC contest. 

--AMDG--