NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women's lacrosse team held a lead late in the first half, but couldn't stop a game deciding Millersville run as the visitors pulled away for a 21-11 opening day victory at the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Senior La'Dae Boykin and sophomore Lashay Ross led the Wildcats (0-1) in the season opener with five goals each, but it was a Marauder (1-0) seven-goal run spanning both halves that decided the game.
The game was back and forth in the early going, with the team's trading the first four goals of the game. Ross and Boykin scored back-to-back goals to tie the game at 2-2 before Millersville scored two of the next three goals for the 4-3 lead with 23:15 left in the half.
Boykin tied the game before Ross put the Wildcats ahead with her third of the game, 5-4. Boykin picked up the hat trick as well, making it three straight for the Wildcats and the 6-4 lead with 20:06 showing on the clock. But Millersville answered back with three straight of it's own to regain a 7-6 advantage with 11:19 left before the half.
Taylor Lambeth scored her first collegiate career goal before Boykin tallied another, putting the game on the see-saw and putting the Wildcats back in front, 8-7, with 10:39 left.
That is when the Marauders went on their run.
The Wildcats couldn't stop the visitors, as Millersville scored the final five goals of the first half, taking a 12-8 lead into the break. They picked up the first two marks of the second half as well, taking a 14-8 lead with 19:14 to play in regulation.
Boykin broke the run with a goal, but the Marauders answered again with four straight, pushing the lead out to 18-9 with 11:06 showing on the clock. Ross tallied back-to-back goals for the Wildcats to get to within 18-11, but that would be as close as the Wildcats would get, as Millersville closed out the contest with the final three goals of the for the 21-11 victory.
In addition to the five goals, Ross led the way with 11 draw controls for the Wildcats. Goalkeeper Maddie Hurm led the team with four ground balls with 10 stops in net, while Christina Ziegler added three ground balls and two draws. Ziegler also led the team with two caused turnovers on the afternoon.
The Wildcats take to the road for the first time this season with their next contest, as they head to St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday. The opening draw is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Sparkill, New York.
