BUCKHANNON, W.Va. - - Three players recorded a hat trick and 10 players total scored at least one goal as the Wilmington University women's lacrosse team opened the 2012 campaign with a 23-4 trouncing over West Virginia Wesleyan at Ross Field on Friday afternoon.
Coaching in her first game as a head coach, Jackie Trainer's Wildcat (1-0) squad opened the scoring on a 8-0 run and never looked back. Wilmington had a 13-3 lead over West Virginia Wesleyan (1-2) at halftime and held the Bobcats to one goal over the entire second half.
Senior attacker Liz Case tallied six goals on 11 shots to lead the Wildcats in the rout. Newcomers Rebekah McCurry and Allison Sain also picked up hat tricks in their first career collegiate games. Kaitlyn Hall picked up the win in goal for the 'Cats, making three saves in her first action as a Wildcat.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start, scoring their first six goals in just over four minutes of game action. McCurry got the 'Cats on the board with her first career goal before Case got her first mark of the game just seconds later. Meggan Apgar tallied the third goal of the game while Megan Keffer added her first goal of her career off a free position shot to make it 4-0. Senior Rebecca Guethler added the fifth goal of the game off a pass from Keffer, making it five goals from five different players to start the game.
McCurry, Guethler and Case each scored their second goal of the game to make it 8-0 with 18:43 to play in the first half. The run ended at eight as the Bobcats got on the board with a goal at the 14:41 mark by Jessica Hardman. They Wildcats would add five more goals in the half, but allow the home team to score with 11 seconds remaining in the half to head into the break leading 13-3.
Case and fellow senior captain Jessica Graybeal collected the first two goals of the second half to make it 15-3 with 25:59 to play in regulation. West Virginia Wesleyan picked up their lone goal of the second half early on, as Kaitlyn Denby scored an unassisted goal with 22:17 to play. That would be the final time the Bobcats got on the board.
The Wildcats went on another 8-0 run to close out the game, started by another goal by Case. Sain added her second goal of the afternoon on a free position shot, followed by Apgar's second goal of the day. Jackie Mayhart recorded her first goal of her career during the run while Graybeal, Keffer and Sain rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats. Sain's final goal made it three 'Cats to score a hat trick on the afternoon.
McCurry led the team with a game high six ground balls, while Apgar and Kory Webster followed with five ground balls each. Brittany Rhodes and Ashley Kroll each caused one turnover in the game while Guethler led the way with a 13-for-17 face off record.
Wilmington has a fast turn-around time for their second game of the year, as they will travel to Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.