GAMBIER, Ohio – The College of Wooster women's lacrosse team was unable to pin the first loss of the year on host Kenyon College, which took Tuesday's North Coast Athletic Conference clash 20-8 at the Field at Benson Bowl.
Wooster (10-3, 1-2 NCAC) scored first on sophomore Kenzie Morris' conference-leading 40th goal of the season. Kenyon (13-0, 3-0 NCAC), one of three remaining undefeated NCAA Div. III programs and the 21st-ranked team in this week's ILWomen/Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association Div. III poll, answered right back just under a minute later. Next, Caroline O'Neil, the Owls' leading scorer, gave the hosts the lead for good at the 11:04 mark. Kenyon rode its big start to an 8-2 lead after a period of play.
Tuesday's game featured the NCAC's two-leading goal scorers jockeying for position atop the conference leaderboard. O'Neil pulled even with Morris with a goal 1:42 into the second period. Morris reclaimed the top spot at the 1:19 mark of the third period, only for O'Neil to strike with 8:50 left in the game. Morris had the last one though, scoring with 6:22 to go to claim a one-goal lead with three regular season conference games remaining.
Wooster's strongest offensive stretch came late in the third period. Junior Kenzie Smith became the sixth Scot to hit the 20-goal mark on the year, finishing an assist from first-year Sidney O'Rourke. One of Morris' goals was next, then senior Jill Murray hit one for the three-goal swing.
O'Rourke and Shaw earned high marks with four draw controls each, while senior Clare Leithauser's three groundballs and Morris' three goals were among the other noteworthy stats. Sophomore JG Garrison stopped four Kenyon shots.
Mallory Brophy and O'Neil scored four goals apiece for Kenyon, while Maren Hutchison corralled five groundballs. Wooster did score more than Kenyon's average yield entering play, as the Owls started the day as one of 17 teams allowing under seven goals per game.
Kenyon outshot Wooster 33-18 and had a 17-9 margin in groundballs in a game that featured just 27 turnovers. Kenyon edged out Wooster 17-13 on draw controls.
Next, DePauw University (9-2, 1-1 NCAC) visits for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, April 22 at Wooster High School.