NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's lacrosse team was defeated by visiting Westfield State University, 14-7, this evening at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons fall to 7-4 on the season, while the Owls improve to 5-5.

Wheaton owned a 15-10 draw control advantage and outshot Westfield, 32-30, but was just 1-8 on free position opportunities. The Lyons outscored the Owls, 4-3, in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the first half deficit created by Westfield State. 

Sophomore attacker Lara Finnie (Westfield, Mass.) tallied three markers in addition to a ground ball for Wheaton. Junior attacker Avonlea LeBeau (North Branford, Conn.) tallied three points with two goals and an assist to go with three draw controls, two ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers. Senior attacker Jessie Kilburn (North Branford, Conn.) netted two goals, picked up a pair of ground balls and caused a turnover. Sophomore defender Talia Banglmaier (Kennebunk, Maine) came up with three ground balls and registered a caused turnover. Senior goalie Emily Kelly (Norwell, Mass.) turned away one of seven shots in the opening 12:41 of play, before yielding to classmate Emily Oundjian (Longmeadow, Mass.), who stopped seven of 15 shots in the final 47:19 of action.

Senior midfielder Emma Cretella (Cheshire, Conn.) netted four goals and junior goalie Kara Banagan (Niskayuna, N.Y.) made 17 saves to lead the Owls. Cretella added a draw control and a caused turnover for the Owls, while senior attacker Cassidy Harvey (Niskayuna, N.Y.) tallied a trio of goals on three shots to go a game-high five ground balls with a pair of caused turnovers. Kiely Hafensteiner, Nicole Rinkus and Natalie DeMaio each netted a pair of goals. Rinkus also added three ground balls and three draw controls. 

Westfield State scored the first seven goals of the game in just under 17 minutes, which proved to be too much of a difference for the home team to overcome for the balance of the contest. 

The Owls scored all six markers of the opening quarter, including two each from Cassidy Harvey and Cretella. Harvey netted her third goal of the night on a free position shot with 13:13 to play in the second quarter to give the visitors a 7-0 cushion.

LeBeau put the Lyons on the board on a feed from Brooke Harvey with 11:59 showing on the second quarter clock. Cretella and Finnie traded scores in a span of 44 seconds to keep it a six-goal difference at 8-2 with 6:25 to play in the period.

Westfield State ripped off three straight goals from DeMaio, Cretella and Rinkus to take an 11-2 lead for its largest advantage of the evening. LeBeau scored with just 47 ticks left in the first half to cut the deficit to 11-3.

Finnie and Kilburn sandwiched Wheaton markers around a goal from DeMaio for the only scoring in the third period to set the count at 12-5 at the end of three quarters of play.

Kilburn opened the fourth quarter with an advantage goal at 10:35 to pull the Lyons to within 12-6. The Owls responded with goals from senior attacker Cassidy Connolly (Woburn, Mass.) and Kafensteiner within a span of 74 seconds to increase their margin to 14-6, before Finnie found the back of the net for Wheaton on a feed from first year attacker Jessica Chamberlin (Bow, N.H.) to make it 14-7 with 3:19 remaining in the match.

Westfield State returns to play on April 8 when it hosts Bridgewater State University at 1:00 p.m., while the Lyons head to New London, Conn. to take on New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference rival United States Coast Guard Academy at 12:00 p.m.