CLAREMONT, Calif. – A resounding 19-6 win on Wednesday afternoon over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps moves the No. 7 nationally ranked Wesleyan women's lacrosse team to 5-0, matching the best start to a season in program history.
 
It has been 16 years since the Cardinals last started a season 5-0, something that has only been accomplished twice before in team history (2004, 2006).
 
Wesleyan continued their scintillating start to 2023, as this 13-goal margin is a new season-high for the Cardinals who've already recorded three double-digit victories through five games this season.
 
Kate Balicki '23 had a career-high five goals, the most any Cardinal had scored in a game this season, while she added one assist to tie her career-high with six points. Chessy Greenwald '23 continued her breakout senior season with four assists, giving her 19 on the season through five games. Greenwald's 3.8 assists per game is tied for the sixth-highest average in the country.
 
Laura Baine '23 scored three goals, giving her a hat trick in two straight and in three of the past four games. Elle Priesing '26 made waves in her first career game, netting a hat trick in the second half to go along with three ground balls. Lindsey Diomede '26 and Becca Dibble '26 both finished with one goal and one assist for their first career points as well.
 
The Cardinals battled a gamely CMS side through a majority of the first quarter, as Wesleyan only led 4-2 with the clock winding under a minute remaining, but a key Kiara Tangney '25 free position goal with just nine seconds left pushed the margin up to 5-2 and set the tone for what would become a 6-0 Cardinal scoring run.
 
Wesleyan was truly dominant in the second quarter, outscoring the Athenas 8-2 while outshooting CMS 17-3 in the frame. Kendall Mittleman '23 scored just 1:05 into the quarter before Baine forced a turnover and scored on a near open net 1:07 later. Greenwald fed Balicki for the first of three times in the second quarter, the last of which came with 15 seconds left that made it 13-4 Cardinals at the halftime break.
 
After allowing just four goals in the first half, Wesleyan's defense continued to dominate into the second half as CMS scored just twice after halftime while the Cardinals added six more, all of which were scored by underclassmen. Priesing scored her first of three in the second half 3:33 into the third quarter while Alix Riley '25 scored a few minutes later in her first action of 2023.
 
Wesleyan closed the game with four unanswered goals in the final 11:08 of play, the last of which completed Priesing's hat trick with 36 seconds left.
 
For the game, the Cardinals outshot the Athenas 38-11 (29-7 after the first quarter). As a team, Wesleyan tallied 19 caused turnovers and won the ground ball battle 24-15.
 
Kyra Browne '26 impressed throughout with eight draw controls, the most of any Cardinal in a game this season. Lilly Stoller '26 came up with three caused turnovers and three ground balls in her first career game. Lucy Gretsky '23 registered a career-high three caused turnovers while Kiara Tangney '25 scored her first two goals of the season to go along with two caused turnovers.
 
The Cardinals conclude their four-game road swing with a big matchup on Sunday as Wesleyan travels to face No. 12 Colby at 11:00 AM. Wesleyan has lost their last two meetings against the Mules including a 15-7 home loss last season.