WILKES-BARRE (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University women's lacrosse team outscored host Wilkes University 6-0 in the fourth quarter to earn an exciting Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom victory, 17-12, on Saturday afternoon.
The Aggies improved to 1-1 in conference play and 3-6 overall, while the Colonels fell to 0-2 and 3-8.
DelVal trailed, 12-11, after three quarters of play before scoring six unanswered goals in the fourth and holding the home team to just one shot on goal to earn the come-from-behind win.
Ashley Birmingham scored twice in a span of two minutes to put the Aggies ahead 13-12 with 11:09 left in regulation. She scored three in the fourth and Kyra McKeegan had two assists and a goal of her own to help charge the closing run.
To start the game, the Colonels netted two goals in 90 seconds to take an early lead. DelVal responded nicely by scoring the next five goals to close the opening frame and take a 5-2 lead into the second. Kiara Haywood-Rivera highlighted that run with three goals and McKeegan picked up another three assists. Birmingham and Samantha Charles also found twine.
Wilkes charged back with four-straight to open the second and it went on to outscore DelVal, 6-2, in the stanza to reclaim the lead at the half, 8-7. Maleah Cobham scored three times in the second to lead the Colonels, including one goal on a man-up chance.
Shots on goal in the first half were 14-11 in favor of the Aggies with Wilkes earning nine draw controls to DelVal's eight.
After the Colonels made it a two-goal game early in the third, the Aggies fired back with three tallies in two minutes, 16 seconds to go back on top, 10-9. Haywood Rivera, Allison Grzembski, and Samantha McCurry scored for DelVal.
The back-and-forth tilt continued through the third as Wilkes tacked on two before the end of the quarter to take a one-goal lead and setup the big fourth quarter for the Green and Gold.
Birmingham finished with a career-high six goals while McKeegan dished out six assists and added two goals of her own for a game-high eight points. Defensively, Birmingham added three caused turnovers and three ground balls with a team-best six draw controls. Haywood-Rivera added four goals and three draw controls and Charles had two goals and an assist. Viola Anderson, Grzembski, and McCurry each scored once and Caroline Berg earned the win in net with five saves.
Wilkes was led by a pair of four-goal performances from Caitlin McDonough and Cobham. Breanna Fulling earned a game-high eight draw controls and keeper Samantha Scott recorded 10 saves.
DelVal will look to make it two in-a-row with another road conference game at Lycoming on Wednesday, April 5 at 6 p.m.
