MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Trailing 5-4 midway through the second quarter, the No. 7 ranked Wesleyan women's lacrosse team used a 9-1 run over a span of 26+ minutes to build a seven-goal lead before holding off a late charge from No. 2 William Smith in a signature 13-10 win for the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon from Smith Field. Wesleyan (10-2) ups their win streak to five straight, including seven consecutive at home, while the Herons (12-2) lose for the second time this week.
 
Another landmark win sees the Cardinals score their third win over a Top 5 ranked opponent this season (second in the past eight days) while this marks the sixth total win over a ranked opponent through 12 games in 2024.
 
The game couldn't have started any better for Wesleyan as Bridget Horst '26 secured the opening draw control and Kiara Tangney '25 netted a goal on the first Cardinal possession. Izzy Weintraub '26 was outstanding throughout, but especially in the early going as she denied William Smith on a free position on the first Heron possession before denying Natalie Daniels a few minutes later.
 
Wesleyan's lead grew to 3-1 midway through the first quarter after Olivia Lai '23 scored on a free position, Weintraub made another save, and Molly Greer '24 took a feed from Becca Dibble '26 off a free position attempt and scored on a player-up opportunity.
 
The early seesawing continued as William Smith scored consecutive goals in just 46 seconds to knot the score at 3-3 but it was Laura Baine '24 who corralled a ground ball and whipped around goal to make it 4-3 Cardinals after one.
 
William Smith controlled play in the early stages of the second quarter, scoring a player-down goal, before Taryn Luzi found the back of the net as the Herons led 5-4 with 8:13 left before halftime.
 
That slim lead, however, would be only time William Smith held a lead in the contest as Lai evened the score just 36 seconds later on a player-up goal and then she gave the Cardinals a 6-5 halftime lead, scoring again on a player-up opportunity as she buried the free position shot attempt.
 
After holding the Herons scoreless for the final 8:13 of the first half, the Cardinal defense continued to shine in the third as William Smith scored just once while the Wesleyan attack scored five as the lead swelled to 11-6 heading into the fourth. Weintraub had another denial on a free position shot just 1:03 into the frame while the Cardinals again made the most of their opportunities, getting a player-up goal from Annabel Cincotta '25 before Lai netted another free position goal.
 
Greer scored her second of the game to make it 9-6 and then she assisted Lai for a goal that made it 10-6. Lai then netted her sixth goal of the day in transition as Baine forced a turnover on a restart deep in the Herons' defensive end. Baine found Lai who had just the goalkeeper to beat and she made no mistake as it was suddenly 11-6 Cardinals.
 
There was no let-up to begin the fourth as Elle Priesing '26 made a great dodge on a drive towards cage, scoring her fourth goal of the season. On the next Cardinal possession, Tangney drove from the top and dropped a pass to Brooke Nelson '24 right in front who scored her seventh of the season and it was 13-6 Cardinals with 12:59 remaining.
 
After just one goal in 26+ minutes, the Heron offense came to life with four unanswered goals in a span of just under eight minutes, closing the deficit to 13-10 with 4:22 remaining. William Smith controlled the ensuing draw and after being awarded a free position, Natalie Daniels hit the post on her shot attempt in a miss that loomed large down the stretch.
 
Haley McLaughlin '24 secured the ground ball on the Daniels shot attempt and after Wesleyan cleared, the Cardinals held possession for more than a minute before a turnover gave the ball back to the Herons with just under two minutes left.
 
Needing a goal to extend the game, Daniels tried to pass to her left in transition, but she missed her target and Molly Simon '26 ran down the ground ball at the far sideline. With another successful clearance, the Cardinals just had to run out the clock, doing so with ease as the horn sounded on another landmark win for Wesleyan in 2024.
 
Lai's six goals matches her career-high which she set earlier this season in a win over Williams. Greer added two goals and two assists, matching her season-high with four points, while Biane and Tangney added one goal and one assist each.
 
Simon and Maeve Olson '25 both recorded career-highs with five ground balls each. Julia Noyes '24 led the team with two caused turnovers. Horst set a season-high with nine draw controls, helping give Wesleyan a 15-11 edge in that category.
 
Weintraub came up big for the Cardinals all throughout the afternoon, making nine saves which is just two off her career-high set in a win at Salisbury back on March 10.
 
After a busy stretch of three games over a span of five days, the Cardinals enjoy five days between games as Wesleyan is back in action on Saturday at Bowdoin for a Noon start.