FERRUM — West Virginia Wesleyan College women’s lacrosse continued its early-season slate on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 17-5 decision to Ferrum College at W.B. Adams Stadium.
The Lady Bobcats came out aggressive, winning the opening draw control as Nyah Elmer set the tone early. At the 13:44 mark of the first quarter, Elmer found the back of the net unassisted to give Wesleyan a 1-0 lead.
Gomez was immediately tested, making multiple early saves to preserve the advantage. However, Ferrum responded with a four-goal run over the final eight minutes of the period to take a 4-1 lead into the second quarter.
Wesleyan capitalized midway through the second after a Ferrum green card created a player-up opportunity. At 10:37, Ashlyn LaPlante finished off a feed from Elmer to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Gomez continued to anchor the defense, making key stops on free-position attempts and point-blank shots to keep the Bobcats within striking distance. Ferrum added two late goals before halftime, sending Wesleyan into the break trailing 6-2.
KP Pond sparked the Lady Bobcats early in the third quarter, scoring unassisted at the 10:55 mark to make it 6-3. The goal momentarily shifted momentum, but Ferrum responded with a decisive scoring run, netting six goals in the quarter to extend the margin to 12-3 heading into the final period.
The Lady Bobcats refused to back down in the final frame. Boluwatife Omoleye opened the quarter with an unassisted goal at 14:13. Elmer added her second goal of the day at 3:27 in the fourth, capping a strong individual performance that included two goals, one assist, seven shots, and seven draw controls.
By the Numbers
- Nyah Elmer: 2 goals, 1 assist, 7 draw controls
- Ashlyn LaPlante: 1 goal
- Boluwatife Omoleye: 1 goal
- KP Pond: 1 goal
- Ella Gomez: 21 saves in 60 minutes
Ferrum was paced offensively by Micaiyah Dickerson, who recorded six goals and one assist, while Lana Barkovic added four goals and two assists in a balanced Panther attack. Caroline Moore contributed two goals and two assists, and Noelle LaCharite finished with two goals as Ferrum converted sustained offensive pressure into production, outshooting Wesleyan 52-14 and controlling 15 draws in the contest. Goalkeeper Faith Feazell secured the win with two saves over 60 minutes in net.
The Lady Bobcats travel to Greensboro College for a 4 p.m. start on Tuesday, Mar. 3.
