PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division leading Philadelphia women's lacrosse team was too much for Wilmington University on Tuesday afternoon, 16-7, on Ravenhill Field.
The Wildcats (6-6, 5-3 CACC) scored the final goal of the first half to close the gap to 9-5 at the halftime break, but the Rams (9-1, 7-0 CACC) scored seven of the nine goals in the second half to run away with the victory.
The Rams started the game hot, scoring the first six goals of the first half before the Wildcats got on the scoreboard. Penelope Fantis tallied the Wildcats' first goal of the game, taking a feed from Maddie Hewitt with 12:14 left in the half. Hewitt made it back-to-back goals for the Wildcats off a feed from Brittany Rhodes with 10:47 to play.
The teams then traded goals for the rest of the first half, with Megan Keffer recording her second goal of the game with 3:44 to play, which proved to be the final goal of the first 30 minutes, bringing the Wildcats to within 9-5 at the break.
Philadelphia once again started hot to start the second half, tallying the first four goals to open a 13-5 lead with 11:36 left in regulation.
The Wildcats were able to get on the board in the second frame with an unassisted goal from Rebekah McCurry with 11:11 to play to bring the Wildcats to within 13-6.
But the Rams retaliated with three straight goals, diminishing any chance of a comeback from the Wildcats.
McCurry closed out the scoring in the final minute of play, adding her 26th of the season with only 46 seconds left in regulation. But McCurry's third goal of the game was too little too late, as the Rams remained unbeaten in the CACC with the 16-7 victory.
The Rams received five goals each from Lauren Hartman and Libby Nichols while Hartman added six assists for a game high 11 points.
The Wildcats were led by McCurry's three goals while Keffer added two in the loss. Hewitt collected two assists to go along with her two goals to tie McCurry for the team lead with three points.
Senior net-minder Corinne Dries tallied 13 saves while the Rams' goalkeeper Kristen Moran stopped 12 stops to keep the home team on top.
The Wildcats remain in second place in the South Division, leading rival Holy Family by two games in the win column. The two teams meet for the second time on Thursday in Philadelphia, after the Wildcats took the first meeting of the season, 14-11.
Thursday's game in Philadelphia is set for a 4 p.m. start.