NEWARK, Del. - - Six straight goals to start the second half allowed the Wilmington University women's lacrosse team to get by Post, 14-7, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest at the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Five student-athletes recorded multiple goals for the Wildcats (6-5, 5-2 CACC), led by junior Ashley 3-8, Kroll's hat trick. Post (3-8, 3-5, CACC) scored the final three goals of the game to settle on the final score, but played shorthanded throughout the entire game due to injuries.
Freshman Gabby Spalt started a three-goal spurt early in the first half, giving the home team a 5-1 lead with 20:05 left on the scoreboard. Kroll tallied her first two goals of the game in the run. Freshman Morgan Tildon recorded back-to-back goals late in the half to put the Wildcats ahead 8-3, before the Eagles' Miranda Polaski scored the final goal of the half to send the teams into the break with the Wildcats leading 8-4.
After the break, Kroll recorded her hat trick with the first goal of the second half, making it 9-4 in favor of the Wildcats with 25:53 to play. Brittany Rhodes scored her fifth goal of the season off a feed from Rebekah McCurry before Ali Kern scored an unassisted goal to make it 11-4 with 23:13 to play. Penelope Fantis added her second goal of the contest during the span before Spalt made it 13-4 with 17:19 left in regulation. McCurry capped the 6-0 run with a goal off a pass from Rhodes with 14:17 to play, giving the home team a 14-4 advantage with 14:17 to play in the game.
Kroll added an assist as well, making it four points for the junior in the contest. Megan Keffer, Fantis, Spalt, and Tildon tallied two goals each in the conference victory. McCurry led the team with five points, scoring a goal while adding four assists on the afternoon. Katie Spence was the final Wildcat in the scoring column, adding an assist in the win.
Senior net minder Corinne Dries made four stops, three in the second half, to allow the Wildcats to make their game deciding run. Eagles' goalkeeper Kathy Walker recorded 15 saves.
Post was led by Shannon Young who scored a game high four goals, bringing her season total to 25 while Polaski two goals and two assists to bring her season point total to 51.
The Wildcats used 26 Post turnovers to record twice as many shots, 40-20, than the Eagles. The home team also picked up 10 more ground balls, 34-24, and five more draws, 14-9, than the Eagles.
Saturday wrapped up a four-game home stand for the Wildcats, as they went 3-1 with all the games coming inside the CACC. Wilmington now takes to the road for its next two games and head to CACC South Division leading Philadelphia on Tuesday. The opening draw is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
