EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University women's lacrosse team held off a furious comeback attempt by Smith College on Thursday evening to earn a 13-10 victory at Schmidt Stadium.

The Lady Colonels are now 5-0 on the year, the team's best start since a 9-0 start in 2014.

The Pioneers scored the first two goals in the third and eighth minutes for the early 2-0 lead.

Senior Melanie Rivera (Middletown, NY/Middletown) got Wilkes on the board when she scored off of an assist from freshman Kyra Boccio (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley) in the 13^th minute. Senior Madeleine Brownsey (Glenside, PA/St. Basil Academy) tied the score in the 15^th minute on an unassisted goal.

Smith pulled ahead 32 seconds later, but Brownsey answered 19 seconds with an assist from sophomore Maura Brownsey (Glenside, PA/St. Basil Academy) to tie the game at three with 15:06 left in the half.

Wilkes took its first lead of the game on three straight goals, with senior Tori Kerr (Beacon, NY/Beacon) scoring in the 18^th and 19^th minutes with the younger Brownsey assisting on the first goal and sophomore Samantha Lawlor (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) socring a man-up goal in the 20^th minute to make the score 6-3 with 10:09 left.

The Pioneers responded with a goal in the 25^th minute to make the score 6-4 going into halftime.

The Lady Colonels came out of halftime and scored three straight goals to go up 9-4. Sophomore Jessyca Held (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) scored unassisted in the 31^st minute, followed by an unassisted goal from the older Brownsey in the 33rd minute and an unassisted goal from Boccio in the 35^th minute.

Brownsey scored again in the 37^th minute with an assist from senior Catherine Conte (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and a man-up tally in the 28^th minute with an assist from Boccio to give Wilkes an 11-4 lead.

Smith broke its cold streak in the 41^st minute, but Boccio scored again in the 43^rd minute.

The Pioneers scored in the 45^th and 53^rd minute to cut Wilkes' lead to 12-7, but Kerr answered 21 seconds later to make it 13-7.

Smith scored the final three goals in the game, two in the 48^th minute and one in the 60^th, but time ran out on its comeback attempt.

The Lady Colonels were led by Brownsey, who continued her excellent play to start the season, recording five goals, and Kerr, who totaled three goals. The younger Brownsey and Boccio had two assists each.

Freshman Tabitha Gravius (Howell, NJ/Manalapan) recorded six saves to earn her fifth win of the season.

Wilkes returns to the field on Saturday when it travels to Rutgers-Camden for a 1 p.m. non-conference match-up.