MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a game that featured seven lead changes, the No. 7 Wesleyan women's lacrosse team gave No. 1 Middlebury all they could handle but the Cardinals came up just short in a 10-9 loss to the Panthers on Saturday afternoon from Smith Field. Wesleyan (6-2, 2-2 NESCAC) sees their six-game win streak snapped while the Panthers (9-0, 5-0 NESCAC) are winners of 60 straight games, having not lost since the 2022 season.
 
An explosive start to this one saw Dylan Green '26 drive towards goal with a defender on her shoulder, slotting her shot inside the right post to give the Cardinals an early lead. Middlebury answered back less than a minute later and took their first lead with less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter.
 
Wesleyan followed with four unanswered tallies, starting with a highlight reel spinaround goal from Sam DeLeo '25 as she got her hands free and whipped a shot bar-down on cage. Green won a one-on-one battle with her defender to bury her second goal of the game before back-to-back markers from Elle Priesing extended the Cardinal advantage to 5-2 with 8:08 showing on the second quarter clock.
 
After a Middlebury timeout, the Panthers managed to cut the deficit down to one with a pair of goals before halftime. Skylar Lach converted a free position from the center hash before Kylie Wilson maneuvered her stick around a defender and scored from the doorstep as it was 5-4 Wesleyan at halftime.
 
The Panthers carried the momentum into the third quarter, tallying two more goals to make it four unanswered dating back to the first half. The seesaw nature of this game continued with three unanswered Wesleyan tallies as the Cardinals regained the lead. Alix Riley '25 started with a low sidearm shot from the left side before Priesing completed her hat trick with a quick stick in front and Green did the same, netting her third with a free position strike to make it 8-6 Cardinals.
 
Hope Shue scored with 1:25 left on the third quarter clock, making it 8-7 Wesleyan heading into the fourth. Middlebury continued to surge in the fourth quarter, getting two goals in the opening 5:38 as the Panthers took a 9-8 lead.
 
The Cardinals answered with 5:17 remaining as DeLeo came from behind the goal and slipped her shot in, knotting the contest at nine goals apiece. Wesleyan, however, had no answer for Kelcey Dion in the fourth quarter as the senior scored for the third time in the period, fending off a pair of defenders and connecting with an over-the-head shot at the 3:15 mark for the 10-9 lead.
 
With 1:29 remaining, Green was issued a yellow card and the Panthers tried to run out the clock, but Bridget Horst '26 caused a turnover behind Wesleyan's goal and the Cardinals called timeout. With just 21.6 seconds left, Wesleyan tried to come up with the game-tying goal but Shue caused a turnover on the clearance attempt and scooped up the ground ball to secure the 10-9 triumph.
 
Priesing recorded her second career hat trick and first since her rookie season in 2023, matching her single-game career-high with four points (three goals, one assist). Green had the same stat line while adding three ground balls and three draw controls. DeLeo finished with two goals, two assists, and four ground balls. Lindsey Diomede '26 led the Wesleyan defense with three caused turnovers and two ground balls.
 
Izzy Weintraub '26 made seven saves, including six in the first half, while playing all 60 minutes in goal.
 
Wesleyan looks to regroup on Wednesday with a Little Three clash against Amherst at 6 PM from Smith Field. A win would clinch a fifth straight Little Three Championship for Wesleyan as the Cardinals already defeated Williams 9-5 back on March 14.