MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – After a turbulent week that saw one game postponed and another canceled, the No. 15 nationally-ranked Wesleyan women's lacrosse team was eager to get back on the turf and it showed on Sunday as the Cardinals scored eight unanswered goals between the second and third quarters to run past Union, 17-7, from Smith Field. Wesleyan (2-0) held the Dutchwomen (1-1) scoreless for nearly 30 full minutes of game time while four Cardinals finished with at least three goals in the convincing victory.
 
It was a slow start for Wesleyan who saw Union jump out front 1:20 into play with a Drew Charlton goal and after consecutive Chessy Greenwald '23 markers just 43 seconds apart, Union struck back to tie the score at 2 with a Sydney McPartlon goal.
 
Union then had a player-up advantage midway through the first but after coming up scoreless on the offensive possession, the Dutchwomen saw Wesleyan sprint right down the field and ultimately finish off a player-down goal from Georgia Mackie '24 that made it 3-2 Cardinals with 6:41 left in the first.
  That momentum-shifting play forced a Union timeout and the damage got worse as Olivia Lai '23 skirted around the Dutchwomen defense and scored just 40 seconds after Mackie's marker.
 
Union settled in, however, forcing Wesleyan into a shot clock violation and then this time took advantage of a player-up opportunity as McPartlon finished off a Grace Heiting feed to lower the deficit to 4-3 at the end of one.
 
After seeing Union outshoot Wesleyan 8-5 in the opening frame, it was all-Wesleyan for the next two quarters as the Cardinals outscored the Dutchwomen 4-0 in the second to take an 8-3 halftime lead. Shot totals swung back in Wesleyan's favor 12-1 in the second quarter alone while four different goal scorers – two of which coming on free position shots – helped the Cardinals built a five-goal halftime lead.
  Even with the halftime break, Wesleyan continued to push forward as Lai scored just 31 seconds into the third quarter while Kate Balicki '23 added her second of the day and so did Laura Baine '24 as the Cardinal run continued. Gil Horst '23 put a cap on the 8-0 Wesleyan run, finishing off an assist from Baine as Wesleyan led 12-3 with 5:45 left in the third.
 
Union scored two of the next three goals to stymie the Cardinal onrush but it was only temporary as Wesleyan scored four of the next five goals including Kaitlyn McMullan '22 who now has goals in back-to-back games, the first and second goals of her career, respectively.
 
Baine was tremendous once again, tallying seven points for the second straight game to start the season as she finished with four goals and three assists. Balicki (three goals, one assist) posted her first career hat trick, as did Greenwald (three goals) who also added five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Lai was tremendous, making plays all over the field as she tallied four goals, four ground balls, seven draw controls and one caused turnover. All four stats are new career-highs for Lai.
 
Indigo Pellegrini de Paur '21, G'22 posted four draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers while Abby Wolk '22 picked up her second win of the season, making two saves in the cage for the Cardinals.
 
Union was led by McPartlon who scored three while Charlton added two and Heiting posted two assists.
 
Wesleyan outshot the Dutchwomen 34-18 while also winning the ground ball battle 21-10.
 
The Cardinals continue an extended home stand, with their second of five straight home games slated for Wednesday at 4 PM against Claremont Mudd-Scripps.