WHEELING, W.Va. (March 31) - The Wheeling Jesuit University women's lacrosse team won its fifth game in a row, dominating Notre Dame College (Ohio) 20-9 in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) competition on Sunday afternoon. 

The Cardinals improve their record to 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the MEC, while the Falcons drop to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Junior Hayley Holmquist (Temecula, Calif./Temecula) led the Cardinals with six goals, while sophomore Paige Orbell (Severn, Md./Old Mill) and freshman Mackenzie Kaderabek (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's) each contributed four. 

WJU started off the game scoring seven-consecutive goals, shutting out the Falcons for the first 10 minutes of play. NDC found their bearings at the 18 minute mark and fired three into the back of the net. Sophomore Megan Mangia (Gahanna, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) scooped up a ground ball in the next play and found Kaderabek in front of the opposing team's goal. Kaderabek added a point to the scoreboard which started another run for the Cardinals. By two minutes left to go in the first half, Wheeling Jesuit was up 12-4. Notre Dame snuck two back to back goals in under a minute, but the Cardinals held the upper hand going into halftime 12-6.

Junior Sarah Artzer (Littleton, Colo./Thunder Ridge) found a ground ball in the opening minutes of the second half, eventually finding Mangia who added a goal for the Cardinals. WJU recorded three straight draw control wins that ended in goals in the next two minutes, increasing the lead to 16-6 at the 26 minute mark.

The Falcons found a break with 17 minutes left in the game when they scored after 10 minutes of silence on both sides. Sophomore Bethany Wallingford (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) answered quickly with a goal from a free position. The Cardinals finished a 3-2 run over NDC, winning the game 20-9.

Senior Ally Coggins (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) tallied three goals and four assists for WJU, while Mangia ended the game with a goal and also four assists. Kaderabek led the team with nine draw control wins, and senior Kate Calder (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) added a goal and seven draw control wins. Freshman Karli Friend (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Merion) gave the Cardinals possession of the ball several times with six ground balls and five caused turnovers. 

Wheeling Jesuit will enter into another MEC contest at home against UVa-Wise on Friday, April 5 at 3 p.m.