BUCKHANNON– In a back-and-forth offensive showcase, West Virginia Wesleyan surged past Ursuline College with a dominant fourth quarter, clinching a 22–14 victory at Cebe Ross Field. Led by a career-high seven-goal explosion from junior attacker Nyah Elmer, the Lady Bobcats pulled away late after the Arrows closed the gap multiple times in a thrilling contest filled with momentum swings, scoring runs, and standout performances on both sides.
Wesleyan jumped out quickly with goals from Elmer and Emma Adcock, taking advantage of early penalties to build a 6–3 lead after one quarter. Elmer and Adcock wasted no time, combining for five goals in the first frame alone—while Ursuline responded behind early efforts from Megan Yanke and Kimoree Colbert.
The Arrows clawed back in the second quarter. Marygrace Hendershot scored three times in the period, including a shorthanded goal, to bring Ursuline even at 8–8. But two late strikes from Elmer and Adcock gave Wesleyan a slim 10–8 halftime edge.
The third quarter was the most electric of the match, with both teams trading blows in a 12-goal frame. Hendershot found the net twice more to finish with six goals and two assists, while Grace Darone added a pair of her own to bring Ursuline back to 12–12.
However, every time Ursuline threatened, Wesleyan answered. Sloan and Navalgund set up key goals in transition, and Elmer scored twice more—including a man-up finish—to give the Lady Bobcats a 16–13 cushion heading into the fourth.
In the final 15 minutes, the Lady Bobcats slammed the door shut. Ashlyn LaPlante scored all three of her goals in the fourth quarter, including two solo efforts, while Sydney McKinney and Raveena Navalgund added insurance points. Wesleyan’s defense tightened as well, holding Ursuline to just one goal in the closing frame.
Goalkeeper Ella Gomez tallied 10 saves for Wesleyan in nearly 58 minutes of action, while Ursuline’s Sophia Ferraro made 13 stops under heavy fire.
