MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – A thoroughly dominant defensive display from the No. 2 Wesleyan women's lacrosse team proved too much for Hamilton in a 8-3 Cardinal win on Saturday afternoon from Smith Field. Wesleyan (7-0, 4-0 NESCAC) continues its best start to a season in team history while the Continentals (4-5, 2-3 NESCAC) lose for just the second time in five games.
 
As has been the theme of the season, the Cardinals leaned on their defense and were rewarded with a tremendous all-around team effort that paved the way to the win. Wesleyan forced Hamilton into 23 turnovers in the contest while the Continentals were held to just one goal across the final 45+ minutes. In just the fourth quarter alone, Hamilton didn't attempt a shot and committed eight turnovers.
 
The stellar defensive display saw Lindsey Diomede '26 again pile up monster numbers as the senior midfielder posted team-leading totals in caused turnovers (five), ground balls (four), and draw controls (three), while she added one goal. Diomede leads the NESCAC by a wide margin in caused turnovers per game (3.57) while she has at least four caused turnovers in four of the past five games.
 
A slow start to this one was a sign of things to come as Bridget Horst '26 scored the first goal of the contest more than six minutes into play. Hamilton finished the period on a high note, with goals from Sophia Wright and Maddigan Leifer giving the Continentals a 2-1 lead.
 
The Cardinal defense began to take over in the second quarter, holding Hamilton to just three shots and no goals while the Continentals had seven turnovers. Wesleyan had their chances on offense, getting a goal from Kyra Browne '26 to knot the score at 2-2 before Mya Waryas '27 hit the crossbar on a free position shot less than one minute later. After more than 11 scoreless minutes, Dylan Green '26 hit 100 career points with her first goal of the game to make it 3-2 Wesleyan at halftime. Green's goal made her the 25^th Cardinal in team history to hit the 100-point milestone.
 
Green scored again early in the third quarter to make it 4-2 Wesleyan and after Kristin Vosswinkel put an end to Hamilton's 23+ minute scoreless draught, Becca Dibble '26 found the back of the net on a quick restart behind the cage to make it 5-3 Cardinals heading into the fourth.
 
Holding the ball on offense to start the fourth, Addie Cummings '26 made a seeing-eye pass right into the teeth of the Hamilton defense where Elle Priesing '26 was waiting to slam home a goal just 24 seconds into the quarter. Then after a failed Hamilton clear following the ensuing draw, Dibble passed to her right for Diomede who bounced in a goal inside the right post to give Wesleyan a commanding four-goal advantage.
 
As the clock wound under 10 minutes to play, Priesing whipped a pass to Cummings who had her back to goal right on top of the crease. With her defender right on her back, Cummings found a way to get her shot off to make it 8-3 Wesleyan. That goal proved more than enough for the Cardinals who forced Hamilton into a turnover on all eight of the Continentals' possessions in the fourth quarter.
 
Cummings led the Cardinal offense with three points (one goal, two assists) while Green scored twice and Dibble and Priesing each finished with one goal and one assist.
 
Izzy Weintraub '26 made four saves on the day to pick up another win. Molly Simon '26 posted three caused turnovers and two ground balls while Kate Tracy '27 had four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
Wesleyan is back in action on Sunday with a 1 PM start against MIT from Smith Field.