WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 16) – The Waynesburg University women's lacrosse team played its 2023 home finale on Sunday by welcoming Wells to John F. Wiley Stadium for a non-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match. The Yellow Jackets sent their fans home happy by defeating the Express 16-5.
 
Waynesburg (3-9) raced out to a 6-0 lead by the time first quarter came to an end and never looked back. Seniors Rachel Caldwell (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) and Tori Meiklejohn (Boonsboro, Md. / Boonsboro) each scored twice in the first 15 minutes. Freshman Kerry Ryan (Timonium, Md. / Mercy) and sophomore Sam Earnest (Honey Brook, Pa. / Conestoga Christian) added a goal each in the hot start.
 
Wells (1-5) answered the Jacket challenge with a pair of goals to open the second quarter. The home team halted the comeback try by tallying the next seven points to build a 13-2 advantage. Meiklejohn scored three more times during the surge and senior Eve O'Sullivan (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) picked up a pair of goals. Fellow senior Tara Wildner (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) buried her first of two scores, while sophomore Anna Bradley (Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette), who started the game in net for the Jackets, moved to the field and buried one in the opposing goal.
 
Midway through the third, Wells scored two more times to make the score13-4. Senior Alexis Shandor (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin) put Waynesburg back up by double digits with her first of the afternoon with 3:51 remaining in the third. The Express tallied the final goal of the quarter to make the score 14-5 heading into the fourth.
 
O'Sullivan's third grew the Jacket advantage back up to 10 (15-5) 2:46 into the fourth, before Wildner logged the day's final tally. Shortly after the score, the game was called with 8:53 left to play after injuries had left Wells shorthanded.
 
Meiklejohn paced a balanced Waynesburg attack that featured eight different players scoring at least one goal each with five tallies. Interestingly, each of those eight scorers logged at least one assist each.
 
Shandor scooped up six of Waynesburg's 35 groundballs and was one of five Jackets to have at least four each.
 
Bradley picked up her third win in goal after making four saves over 30 minutes between the pipe. Freshman Diana Gurecka (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Seton LaSalle) picked up a pair of saves over the final 21:07 of action.
 
The Jackets embark on their season-ending four-game road trip by traveling to Franciscan on Wednesday, April 19, for a PAC contest. Start time is scheduled for 4 p.m.