BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Julie Azzinaro (Westerly, R.I.) and sophomore Pam Mudge (Hooksett, N.H.) tallied four goals apiece as the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team rallied from a 9-6 deficit and held on to defeat Wheelock, 16-15, in non-conference action on Sweeney Field.
With the win the Leopards, winners of three straight, improve to 3-1 while the Wildcats slip to 0-2.
The Wildcats struck twice in a span of 39 seconds with a pair of goals off the stick of junior Katie Gavin (Manchester-by-the-Sean, N.H.). After Leopard junior Jessica Houghton (Billerica, Mass.) put the hosts on the board, junior Valerie Ferrante (Milford, Mass.) gave Wheelock a 3-1 lead.
Back-to-back goals from Azzinaro and Houghton knotted the score with 19:10 left, however, three Wheelock goals in a span of 1:30 gave the Wildcats a 6-3 lead. The Leopards scored three of the next four goals and pulled within 7-6 on a Mudge marker with 9:11 left. Junior Molly Centore (Kennebunk, Maine) and Gavin scored on free position shots to make it a 9-6 lead with 7:33 left, a lead that would carry into halftime.
Wentworth opened the second half by scoring the first five goals and took an 11-9 lead on an Azzinaro free position shot with 24:15 left. Centore and Ferrante scored 15 seconds apart to tie the score at 11-all before freshman Molly Dufresne (Plaistow, N.H.) put the hosts back on top with a goal with 14:21 left.
The Wildcats tied the game on a Gavin goal less than two minutes later, and, after Dufresne scored on a free position shot, Wheelock took a 14-13 lead when Centore and Gavin connected on free position shots.
Mudge's goal with 6:21 remaining knotted the score at 14-all and Azzinaro tallied twice to give the Leopards a 16-14 lead with 4:24 left. Centore scored with 3:43 left, however Wheelock would get no closer.
Houghton and Dufresene finished with three goals and an assists apiece while junior Alexandrea Banks (Ellington, Conn.) had a pair of goals. Houghton had five draw controls and junior Melissa Pilley (Lancaster, Mass.) had six ground balls. Junior Robyn Pacini (Stoneham, Mass.) made four saves in the second half. Sophomore Hayley Patton (Cranston, R.I.) made seven saves in the first half.
Centore finished with six goals while Gavin had five goals and an assist and became the first player in program history to reach 100 career points. Centore also had 14 draw controls and senior Michelle Greene (Mansfield, Mass.) made 24 saves.
Wentworth finished with advantages in shots (49-32) and ground balls (38-25) while Wheelock held a 21-12 draw control edge.
The Leopards host Colby-Sawyer on Sunday afternoon. That same day, the Wildcats host Maine-Farmington.
