LEXINGTON, Va. – Senior goalkeeper Cara Mulligan (Glen Ridge, N.J. / Glen Ridge) made a save with 15 seconds remaining to seal a 9-8 victory for the 14th-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team over eighth-ranked Salisbury on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.

A goal by junior attacker Melissa Coggins (St. John's, Fla. / Bartram Trail) gave the Generals (4-1) a 9-6 lead with 3:56 remaining in the game. The Sea Gulls (1-2) scored two goals in a span of 1:21 to trim the deficit to one (9-8) at the 2:35 mark.

W&L tried to run out the final two minutes of the clock, but a turnover gave Salisbury the ball with 27 seconds remaining. Senior attacker Kate Haker (Westminster, Md. / Westminster) had the opportunity to tie the game with 15 seconds left in the contest off a free position shot, but Mulligan stopped the ball in front of the net to secure the win for the Blue and White.

For the game, W&L edged Salisbury in ground balls, 12-10, and in draw controls, 11-8. The Sea Gulls out-shot the Generals, 22-16.

Mulligan saw all 60 minutes of action in goal and recorded five saves. Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Harmke (Crofton, Md. / Seton Keough) took the loss for SU, playing 30 minutes and making zero saves, while first-year goalie Gianna Falcone (Florham Park, N.J. / Academy of Saint Elizabeth) saw the remaining 30 minutes and posted three saves.

Senior midfielder Sammy Yates (Ridgewood, N.J. / Ridgewood) netted the first goal of the game off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Hayley Soutter (McLean, Va. / Langley) at the 29:38 mark. Salisbury responded 1:36 later when Haker scored an unassisted goal to notch the game at 1-1.

W&L went on a 3-0 run with goals from junior attacker Carly Taglienti (Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown), Soutter and sophomore midfielder Olivia Sisson (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) to push the lead to 4-1 with 21:29 on the clock.  Haker tallied the Sea Gulls' second goal at the 20:29 mark off of an assist from senior attacker Kara O'Rourke (Ellicott City, Md. / Mt. Hebron) to stop the spurt and cut the lead to 4-2. 

Sophomore midfielder Hollis Tardy (Dallas, Texas / The Hockaday School) found the back of the net off of a free position shot with 18:59 left in the first half. Taglienti tallied her second goal of the game off of an assist from Coggins 1:52 later. The Sea Gulls scored three of the last four goals in the final 17 minutes of the first half, but the Generals took a 7-5 lead into intermission.

For the contest, Taglienti led the Generals with two goals, while Coggins dished out two assists. Soutter and Tardy finished with three draw controls apiece, and first-year midfielder Riley Garcia (Manhasset, N.Y. / Manhasset) picked up two ground balls.

Haker scored a game-high three goals, while O'Rourke and junior attacker Megan Wallenhorst (Ellicott City, Md. / Centennial) had two assists each.

W&L returns to the field next Saturday when it hosts St. Mary's (Md.) for a 2:00 pm contest.

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