CLINTON, N.Y. – In a game that featured some massive swings in momentum, the No. 7 ranked Wesleyan women's lacrosse team managed to clamp the door shut on No. 22 Hamilton, scoring five unanswered goals in the final 21:26 of play to defeat the Continentals 12-7 on Saturday afternoon. Wesleyan (7-1, 3-1 NESCAC) records just their second road win over Hamilton (4-5, 1-4 NESCAC) in the all-time series while also winning their third road game over a ranked opponent this season.
 
The hosts seemed to have taken full control of this one, with Hamilton's Olivia Chiota scoring a player-down goal midway through the third quarter that brought the score to 7-7 after the Continentals had trailed 7-2. Wesleyan had gone scoreless for over 17 straight minutes after taking that initial five-goal lead, but a huge Brooke Nelson '24 free position player-up goal just 58 seconds after that Chiota marker flipped momentum back on the Cardinals' side.
 
In the face of that 5-0 Hamilton run, Nelson's tally was promptly followed by a pair of Olivia Lai '23 goals while Laura Baine '24 netted another in quick succession as four Wesleyan goals in a span of 2:21 gave the visitors a four-goal lead all the sudden.
 
With that four-goal lead in-hand heading into the fourth, it was Izzy Weintraub '26 who held off the Hamilton squad as the first-year goalkeeper made six consecutive saves including four in the fourth quarter to keep the Continentals scoreless for the final 21:26 of play. After allowing goals on Hamilton's first three shots on-goal in the second half, Weintraub rebounded and made six consecutive stops to end the game and as the rookie picked up her second career win.
 
Also in that fourth quarter, Wesleyan staved off two Hamilton player-up opportunities, both early in the frame with the deficit still at four. Nelson then scored her second of the game with 7:52 remaining to restore the five-goal cushion that proved more than enough for Wesleyan to enjoy a key road win on the lengthy bus ride back to campus.
 
Wesleyan came out strong in the one, outscoring Hamilton 4-1 in the first quarter, with Kate Balicki '23 scoring twice while Chessy Greenwald '23 made it 4-1 Cardinals with a goal that came with just one second left on the scoreboard.
 
The Cardinals continued to build their lead in the second quarter, with Kiara Tangney '25 scoring her third of the season before Balicki completed her hat trick and Lai scored her first of three on the day to give Wesleyan a 7-2 advantage.
 
Hamilton followed with two goals before halftime, including one from Maddigan Leifer with just one second left in the second quarter to make it 7-4 at the break. The Continentals then scored three more unanswered goals to start the third, setting the stage for the 5-0 Cardinal run in the remainder of play.
 
Four Cardinals recorded three points including Baine (one goal, two assists), Lai (three goals), Balicki (three goals) and Nelson (two goals, one assist). For Nelson, that is the first three-point game of her career as she now has five points in her last two appearances.
 
Molly Greer '24 (one goal, one assist) tallied her second multi-point game of the season, while she added a career-high four ground balls and one caused turnover.
 
Tangney went off for four draw controls, three caused turnovers, and three ground balls to go along with her one goal. Bridget Horst '26 led the team with five draw controls while Erin Trotta '23 recorded two caused turnovers.
 
Wesleyan has a big week ahead, with key home games coming against Amherst on Wednesday at 6 PM and Middlebury on Saturday at Noon.