The Virginia Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team (7-4, 3-1 ODAC) defeated conference opponent EMU 15-10.
The Marlins' offense was led by
Reese Morgenthaler who scored four goals, on eight shots, three ground balls, eight draw controls, and caused one turnover.
Adrianna Gunther was efficient on offense scoring three goals, one assists, on six shots, one ground ball, and two draw controls.
Creelyn Bastinelli scored three goals on four shots.
Melissa Dolt recorded the win, played 60 minutes, tallied eight saves, and allowed 10 goals in the game.
The game opened with Virginia Wesleyan striking first, as
Reese Morgenthaler found the back of the net off an assist from
Adrianna Gunther at the 11:28 mark in the first quarter. Gunther continued her strong offensive play, scoring and unassisted goal just two minutes later before adding another goal with help from
Daphne Myers to put the Marlins ahead 3-0. The Royals responded at 6:23 mark, but VWU quickly reasserted control as
Madison Pfister scored a goal and
Creelyn Bastinelli scored a man-up goal to extended the lead to 5-1 by the end of the quarter.
EMU showed resilience in the second period, attempting to chip away at the deficit as they scored a goal at the 7:30 mark, but Morgenthaler answered with back-to-back goals, the second off an assist from
Gabriella Watton, to push the Marlins' lead to 7-2. The Royals gained momentum late in the quarter scoring twice in the final two minutes, cutting Virginia Wesleyan's advantage to 7-4 at halftime.
The third quarter saw a back-and-forth battle, with Eastern Mennonite making a serious push. The Royals struck first scoring on a man-up opportunity at 12:09. However, Bastinelli quickly countered for the Marlins with her second goal of the game. EMU refused to back down, as they scored three quick goals, tying the game at 8-8. The Marlins showed their composure under pressure, with Pfister, Morgenthaler, and
Kenna Duplechin (on a man-up goal) responding to give Virginia Wesleyan an 11-9 lead heading into the final quarter.
Virginia Wesleyan sealed the victory in the fourth, limiting the Royals to just one goal while adding four of their own.
Shaunice Rone extended the Marlins' lead to 13-9 early in the quarter, and Bastinelli and Watton capped off the scoring to secure the 15-10 win.
