Wellesley Lacrosse Falls To Endicott In Non-Conference Action, 12-7

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Senior Meghan Lennon (Canton, Mass.) and first year Meghan Dutchyshyn (Cheshire, Conn.) each finished with four goals to lead visiting Endicott College to a 12-7 non-conference victory over Wellesley College lacrosse on Sunday at the Wellesley Fields Complex.

The Gulls improve to 2-0 on the season and 8-2 in the last ten match-ups versus the Blue dating back to the 2008 season. Wellesley is now 0-2 on the year. 

Lennon added three ground balls, four draw controls and a caused turnover for the Gulls, who also got a pair of goals, three ground balls and two assists from sophomore Jackie Healy (Northborough, Mass.). First year Jennifer Lacroix (Wrentham, Mass.) opened the scoring in the game with her fourth goal of the season, before finishing with a game-high six ground balls. Senior Emily Whitney (Rye, N.H.) added the other Endicott goal, while also scooping up three ground balls and causing a turnover. Sophomore Ali Campbell (Lakeville, Mass.) led all players with a game-high three assists.

Wellesley first year Carley Phillips (Waterford, Conn.) recorded her first career hat-trick in the setback. Phillips also scooped up three ground balls and collected three draw controls. Seniors Courtney Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.), Nikki Sharkin (Summit, N.J.) and Mary Lemay (Longmeadow, Mass.) and sophomore Mayu Kikuchi ( Villanova, Pa.) all added goals for the Blue, with Peterson and Sharkin also securing five and four ground balls, respectively. Peterson led all players with five cause turnovers in the contest. 

Sharkin cancelled out Lacroix's opening marker with her third of the season at 23:53 of the first, but Endicott responded with three-straight goals to take a 4-1 lead when Lennon scored her second of the game at 11:37. The Blue cut into the deficit, getting back-to-back markers from Kikuchi and Phillips at 10:31 and 5:25, but Endicott jumped back to a three-goal advantage at 2:52, as Lennon competed her hat-trick, following the second of the game from Dutchyshyn, to make the score 6-3. Peterson closed out the first with a free position tally of her own at 1:34 to send the teams into the break with Endicott leading, 6-4.

The Gulls and the Blue twice exchanged goals to open the second half. Whitney scored on a feed from Healy at 29:16, before Lemay countered by burying a feed from sophomore Dacia Persky (Las Vegas, Nev.) at 28:49. Healy then netted her first of the game, finishing on a feed from Campbell, only to see the Blue counter once again thanks to a free position finish from Phillips. However, four-straight Endicott goals put the game out of reach, as Endicott took their largest lead of the afternoon, at 12-6, with just 5:38 to play. Phillips completed her hat trick with 4:22 left, as Wellesley dropped the 12-7 final.

Endicott finished the contest with a 33-12 edge in shots, and a 27-10 advantage in shots on target. Wellesley senior goalkeeper Wendy Nettleton (La Jolla, Calif.) made 15 saves in the setback, while senior Maura Grady (Marblehead, Mass.) turned back three attempts for the Gulls. Endicott also had a slight edge in ground balls, 26-23, and in draw controls, 12-9.  

Wellesley returns to action on Tuesday, March 7, when they travel to UMass Dartmouth for a 4:00 PM contest. Endicott will host Colby on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.