Virginia Wesleyan pulled away in the second half to defeat Goucher, 15-9, on Tuesday afternoon in Virginia Beach.
Goucher came out sharp, controlling much of the first quarter and building a 4-2 lead. Virginia Wesleyan responded just before halftime and then took over after the break.
Reese Morgenthaler sparked the surge, scoring three goals, including back-to-back unassisted tallies late in the second quarter, to tie the game at 5-5 heading into halftime.
The Marlins dominated the third quarter, outscoring Goucher 5-2. Balanced scoring and strong individual efforts fueled the run, with
Gianna Delevan,
Reese Morgenthaler, and
Kenna Duplechin each finding the net. That stretch turned a tight contest into a 10-7 Virginia Wesleyan lead.
In the fourth, Virginia Wesleyan continued to press its advantage.
Creelyn Bastinelli scored twice early in the period, and
Kenna Duplechin added two more late goals to complete her hat trick.
Vivian Spillman capped the scoring with her second goal of the game in the final seconds.
Goucher showed fight late, with scoring twice in the fourth quarter, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. Virginia Wesleyan's offense was balanced, with six players scoring multiple goals. Bastinelli, Morgenthaler, and Duplechin each recorded hat tricks, while Delevan and Spillman added two goals apiece.
With the win, Virginia Wesleyan improves to 5-3, while Goucher falls to 3-4.
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Saturday, March 21 at 4:00 PM, traveling to face Shenandoah University in ODAC play in Winchester, Virginia.
