BOX SCORE

When and Where: March 15, 2016 – Salisbury, N.C. (Shuford Stadium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 20, Catawba College 12
Records: SNHU 4-1, Catawba 3-4

Freshman Kristin Wilder (Framingham, Mass.) and sophomore Alexa Bedell (Londonderry, N.H.) each registered a career-high eight points to lead the Southern New Hampshire University women's lacrosse team to a 20-12 victory against Catawba College on Tuesday at Shuford Stadium.

Wilder scored a career-best seven goals and handed out an assist, while Bedell potted a career-high five goals and matched her career best with three assists. Senior Alexa Allen (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) notched five points on a goal and four assists, with junior Ellen Decker (Foxborough, Mass.) posting three points on a goal and two helpers.

The game was scoreless for nearly the first eight minutes until Bedell set up Wilder for a goal that triggered a run of six straight that put the Penmen up, 6-0, at the 14:27 mark of the opening half. Wilder recorded a pair of tallies during the stretch, while Bedell dished two assists.

Catawba responded with three straight that sliced its deficit in half with just under 10 minutes to go, but SNHU closed the frame with three of the final four goals – two of which were set up by Allen – to bring a 9-4 lead into the break.

The Indians scored three of the first five goals of the second half, including a pair in the first minute, to trim the gap to four at 11-7 with 24:11 to play. Southern New Hampshire stopped the bleeding and rattled off seven straight that all but sealed the win by putting the Penmen up, 18-7, with 11:49 left. Bedell led the way with four goals and an assist during the stretch, with Wilder adding two goals and an assist, Decker contributing a goal and an assist and Allen chipping in two helpers.

Catawba made a late run with five straight goals, but it was too little and far too late as the Penmen added two more, including one from Wilder, to put the game away.

Notes:
-Junior goalkeeper Nicole Kennedy (Windham, Maine) stopped 12 of the 24 shots she faced, while Bethany Davis also made 12 saves on 32 shots.
-Southern New Hampshire outshot Catawba, 36-28, including 20-14 in the opening period, and also held a 21-13 advantage in draw controls, including 11-3 in the first half.
-The 4-1 start is the best to a season for the Penmen since 2006.
-Wilder leads the Northeast-10 in both goals (24) and points (26), while Allen paces the league in assists (14). Kennedy is leading the conference with 46 saves.

Up Next:
The Penmen are back in action Saturday, March 19 (12 p.m.) when they take on Pace University. The next home game for the Penmen is Tuesday, March 22 (7 p.m.) when they play host to crosstown-rival Saint Anselm College at Larkin.

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