WHEELING, W.Va. (April 12) - The Wheeling Jesuit University women's lacrosse team was defeated by Shepherd 16-14 in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) contest on Friday evening at Bishop Schmitt Field.

The Cardinals drop to 8-5 overall and 4-2 in the MEC. With the win, the Rams move to 7-5 overall, 4-2 in league play. Both teams are tied for second-place in the MEC standings behind UVa-Wise.

Senior Kate Calder (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) tied her career-high and sophomore Paige Orbell (Severn, Md./Old Mill) tied her season's best with four goals apiece.

The Cardinals went up 2-0 to start the first half, but Shepherd quickly answered with one of its own. Senior Ally Coggins (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) fired a shot into the back of the net at the 23-minute mark to keep WJU up by two. The Rams went on a 4-1 run in the next 10 minutes, going up 5-4 with 13 minutes left to play in the first half. A caused turnover and ground ball by freshman Mackenzie Kaderabek (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's) gave Wheeling Jesuit an offensive opportunity that ended in a goal by sophomore Bethany Wallingford (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe), tying the game 5-5 at the 11 minute mark.

Shepherd found an opening 30 seconds later to take the lead once again, but the Cardinals were hot on their heels and tied the game 6-6. The Rams took control, winning 14 draw controls compared to WJU's four in the first half. This allowed them to gain momentum in several instances which led to three back-to-back goals, giving the Rams a 9-6 advantage with three minutes left to go. Orbell and Kaderabek, assisted by junior Eily Cogan (Westerville, Ohio/Oletangy), were able to find the back of the net in the final minutes, sending the game into halftime with the Cardinals only down 9-8.

Each team saw several shots in the first minutes of the second half, but the Rams gained an advantage and went up 10-8 at the 26-minute mark. Calder and Wallingford swiftly retaliated for the Cardinals, tying the game 10-10. Orbell put Wheeling Jesuit up by one with 19 minutes left to go after a pass by Coggins to the center of the eight-meter arc.

Shepherd then saw a 3-1 run, going up 13-12 by the 12 minute mark. A free position shot by the Cardinals tied the game once again with under 10 minutes left to play. The Rams followed with two swift goals after recording two ground ball pickups and a draw control win which put them up 15-13 with seven minutes left to play. Several shots and saves by both teams ran the clock until Shepherd found some room to score, going up 16-13 with under two minutes on the clock. Orbell scooped up a ground ball off of a free position shot with one second left to go and fired it past Shepherd's goalkeeper. This put Wheeling Jesuit a step closer, but they fell short 16-14.

The Cardinals recorded 16 good clear attempts and 29 ground balls, putting them slightly above the Rams. However, Shepherd's goalkeeper Hailey Benentt made 16 saves against Wheeling Jesuit's 30 shots on goal. 

Wallingford ended the game with three goals and three draw control wins, while Calder led the Cardinals with five draw control wins. Orbell, Kaderabek, and freshman sophomore Emma Stair (Westminster, Md./Mount De Sales  Academy) each tallied five ground balls. Junior Sarah Artzer (Littleton, Colo./Thunder Ridge) caused four turnovers, and sophomore Kelly Martyn (Baltimore, Md./The Catholic School) ended with three. 

The Cardinals are back in action on Bishop Schmitt Field to take on West Virginia Wesleyan in another MEC clash on Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m.