LANCASTER, Pa. – A six-goal second period proved vital for the No. 10 ranked Wesleyan women's lacrosse team, as the Cardinals held off a second half rally attempt to defeat No. 6 ranked Franklin & Marshall 12-10 on Saturday afternoon. With this signature win in a Top 10 matchup, Wesleyan (3-0) remains unbeaten and lands their first win over a Top 10 ranked team since defeating then-No. 1 Gettysburg 10-7 in the 2019 NCAA Quarterfinal. Playing a ranked opponent for the fourth time in four games this season, the Diplomats (2-2) see their nine-game home winning streak come to an end.
 
The first quarter saw both defenses dominate as just two goals were scored. Wesleyan's defense forced the Diplomats into nine turnovers, but the Cardinal offense could only get one shot past Alyssa Moran in net as the Franklin & Marshall goalkeeper made five saves in the frame.
 
The script completely flipped in the second quarter, as the Cardinals dominated all facets, rattling off a 6-1 run including four unanswered to end the first half. Wesleyan attempted 11 shots compared to just three for the Diplomats while the Cardinals held a massive edge in time of possession thanks to an 8-1 edge in draw controls in the second quarter alone. Gil Horst '23 scored a pair of unassisted goals while Laura Baine '24 dished out assists on goals from Kate Balicki '23 and Chessy Greenwald '23 to make it 7-3 Wesleyan at the break.
 
Wesleyan continued to roll to start the third quarter, with Kendall Mittleman '23 scoring twice in a span of 2:05 to take their biggest lead of the game at 9-4. After Mittleman's second, however, Franklin & Marshall made their run with a goal from Lydia Cassilly just 1:30 later followed by two more Diplomat goals to shave the deficit to 9-7. Both sides traded goals to end the third with the Cardinals up 10-8.
 
A much-needed insurance goal came 2:03 into the fourth as Greenwald found the back of the net for the second time in the game to rebuild a three-goal Cardinal advantage that stood for over seven minutes. In that seven-minute span, Abby Wolk '22 came up big with a save on a Madison Bray free position shot and the graduate keeper later denied Lane Lambeth to preserve the three-goal lead.
 
The Diplomats broke through with a goal from Cassilly but the Cardinals' response was immediate as Olivia Lai '23 picked a great time for her first goal of the day, scoring on a free position with 4:58 left to make it 12-9 Wesleyan. Bridget Horst '26 secured the ensuing draw as the Cardinals held possession, draining valuable seconds off the clock with the Diplomats in need of three goals.
 
After Sydney Lowe scored with 2:18 left to again make it a two-goal game, Gil Horst secured the biggest draw control of the game, allowing the Cardinals to drain another minute off the clock before the Diplomats reclaimed possession. With the clock winding under 30 seconds, Maddy Birch fired a desperation shot that was turned aside by Wolk to lock down a massive Cardinal win.
 
The graduate keeper Wolk made a season-high six saves in net including five in the second half alone (three in the fourth quarter) as her play down the stretch loomed large in the win.
 
Draws also played a massive role in the outcome as the Cardinals managed 18 while the Diplomats had just eight. Gil Horst totaled a game-high five while Bridget Horst recorded four and Kiara Tangney '25 and Molly Simon '26 each added three.
 
A balanced attack saw seven different Cardinals score, five of which recorded multi-goal games. Mittleman and Greenwald each recorded two goals and two assists. Baine went for one goal and two assists while Balicki, Gil Horst and Georgia Mackie '24 each had two-goal games.
 
The Cardinal defenders performed well all throughout the afternoon, limiting the Diplomats on offense. Maeve Olson '25 tallied four ground balls, Reilly Short '23 totaled three caused turnovers, and Erin Trotta '23 finished with two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
 
Wesleyan hops on a plane to travel out west for a pair of games in California. The Cardinals first take on Pomona-Pitzer on Monday at 7:00 PM (EST) and finish the trip with a Wednesday showdown against Claremont Mudd-Scripps (CMS) at 7:00 PM (EST).