GORHAM, Maine -- Junior attacker Jessie Kilburn (North Branford, Conn.) tallied five points, including four goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team to an 11-7 victory over host University of Southern Maine, this afternoon at Hannaford Field in Gorham, Maine. The Lyons improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Huskies fall to 1-2.

Wheaton dominated possession and owned a decisive 31-13 shot advantage, while winning 16 of 22 draw controls. The visitors also committed 10 fewer turnovers than the home team. 

Southern Maine owned a 4-3 edge after one quarter of play, but the Lyons' defense clamped down and held the Huskies to just one goal in each of the next three quarters, while the offense put eight goals on the board.

Kilburn added four draw controls and a pair of ground balls for Wheaton, while sophomore attacker Abigail Mountain (Niantic, Conn.) netted a career-high three goals to go with caused turnover. Sophomore attacker Avonlea LeBeau (North Branford, Conn.) registered a personal-best four points on two goals and two assists in addition to a pair of ground balls. Junior defender Maggie Ryan (Freeport, Maine) led the defense with four ground balls and a caused turnover and senior defender Mia Murray (Kennebunk, Maine) picked up three ground balls to go with a caused turnover. Junior goalie Emily Kelly (Norwell, Mass.) came off the bench to turn away two of five shots in the final 45:26 of play. Junior starter Emily Oundjian (Longmeadow, Mass.) allowed four goals in a quarter-plus of action.

Senior attacker Rachel Shanks (Naples, Maine) led the Southern Maine offense with three goals and a pair of assists, while first year defender Lilly Weinrich (Yarmouth, Maine) netted a pair of goals and added a ground ball. Junior defender Maeve McGarrity (Scarborough, Maine) led the defense with four ground balls and caused three turnovers. Sophomore goalie Cece Racine (Lewiston, Maine) made nine saves for the Huskies.

Graduate student midfielder Jennifer Darasz (Gorham, Maine) found the back of the net for Southern Maine with 12:15 left in the second quarter to give it a 5-4 lead. It was the last time the home team would hold an advantage as the Lyons scored seven of the next nine goals to put the game away and come away with the win.

Mountain took a feed from Kilburn and found the back of the net for Wheaton with just 24 seconds to play in the second quarter to end a scoring drought of almost 12 minutes for both teams and knot the contest at 5-5. 

First year attacker Sophie Gromala (Killingworth, Conn.) opened the second half with her first collegiate goal to give the Lyons their first lead of the day at 6-5 with 10:38 showing on the third quarter clock. Shanks answered for the Huskies, less than two minutes later, to re-tie the game at 6-6, but Wheaton dominated the scoreboard for the rest of the game as day turned to night. Kilburn scored the final marker of the quarter at the 5:14 mark to give the Lyons a 7-6 lead. 

Kilburn and Mountain maintained the Wheaton momentum with back-to-back goals in a span of 16 seconds, respectively, to give the visitors a 9-6 margin with 8:37 remaining in the game. Shanks scored Southern Maine's final goal to pull it to within 9-7, but Kilburn and LeBeau scored the final to two goals just 42 seconds apart with just over two minutes left in the game for an 11-7 Lyons' lead.

Senior defender Evelyn Hinkley (West Gardiner, Maine) and Weinrich each scored a goal in the first four minutes of the game to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead, before first year middie Gabriella Smart (Oakland, Maine) netted her first career marker followed by a LeBeau tally to pull Wheaton even. Weinrich and Shanks sandwiched Southern Maine goals around a Lyons' goal from Kilburn to take a 4-3 edge after one quarter of play. Mountain tied the game just 35 seconds into the second quarter for Wheaton before the Huskies took their last lead of the game.

The Lyons remain in Maine to take on University of New England on Sunday, March 6 for a 1:00 p.m. tilt in Biddeford, Maine, while Southern Maine hosts University of Maine-Farmington on March 8 at 4:00 p.m.