LATROBE, Pa. (Feb. 21) – The Saint Vincent women's lacrosse team picked up a milestone win on Saturday afternoon at UPMC Field, defeating West Virginia Wesleyan College 12-8 in a non-conference matchup to give Head Coach Makayla Kintner her first career victory.
 
The Bearcats improved to 1-1 on the season, while the Bobcats dropped to 0-1.
 
Saint Vincent set the tone early, erupting for six first-quarter goals to open a 6-2 advantage. Chloe Herring got the Bearcats on the board with an early strike off an assist from Melanie Seefeldt, and the offense stayed aggressive from there, as SVC capitalized on pace and possession to build momentum.
 
The Bearcats continued to control the game in the second quarter, adding four more goals to carry a 10-3 lead into halftime. Herring scored twice in the period, while Carolina Walters and MaryKatherine New each added goals as Saint Vincent's balanced attack kept the Bobcats' defense on its heels.
 
West Virginia Wesleyan made a push after the break, outscoring Saint Vincent 2-1 in the third and 3-1 in the fourth, but the Bearcats did enough to hold firm down the stretch. Saint Vincent finished with a 26-19 edge in ground balls and went 24-for-29 on clears, helping the Bearcats withstand Wesleyan's late pressure and close out the four-goal win.
 
Herring led the Bearcats with five goals on eight shots, while New finished with three goals and Walters and Cara Dupilka scored two apiece. Seefeldt totaled three assists, setting up three of Saint Vincent's first-quarter scores as the Bearcats jumped out in front.
 
In goal, Cassidy Rega earned the win with a strong performance, playing all 60 minutes and making 10 saves. West Virginia Wesleyan was paced by Francesca Sloan's five goals and one assist, while Nyah Elmer added three goals for the Bobcats.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, February 28 with a home non-conference matchup against Pitt-Bradford. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at UPMC Field.