IMMACULATA, PA – Samantha Lawlor (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) scored a career-high eight goals but the Wilkes University women's lacrosse team was unable to make a full comeback against Immaculata University falling 14-9 Thursday afternoon at Draper Walsh Stadium in the Lady Colonels season opener.
 
Jessyca Held (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) gave Wilkes a 1-0 lead two minutes into the contest scoring off an assist from Kyra Boccio (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley). Immaculata answered with four unanswered goals over the next seven minutes to take a 4-1 advantage. Lawlor found the back of the net for the first of her eight goals off a helper from Held at the 21:36 mark of the first half.
 
Lawlor completed the hat trick following an Immaculata tally notching her second and third strikes of the contest pulling Wilkes to within one down 5-4 with 14:53 left in the half. Four more unanswered goals from the hosts pushed the lead back to 9-4 before Lawlor flexed her muscle scoring twice over the final :35 of the half as Wilkes trailed 9-6 at the break.
 
Lawlor added three more goals in the second half, the third bringing Wilkes to within two down 11-9 with just over twelve minutes remaining in the contest. From there Immaculata notched three straight goals over the final six minutes to seal the 14-9 home non-conference victory.
 
Lawlor's eight goals marked the fifth highest single game mark in the program's history while also capping a career-day for the junior attack. Boccio added three assists while Held finished with the other Wilkes goal along with one helper and a team-high five ground balls. Maura Brownsey (Glenside, PA/St. Basil Academy) and Kayla Cadden (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central) also notched assists for Wilkes.
 
Sarah Carlini (Collegeville, PA/Pope John Paul II) finished with 15 saves in her first collegiate start in the cage for Wilkes. Immaculata held a 38-26 shot advantage while notching 15 draw controls to Wilkes' nine wins in the circle.
 
Wilkes takes to the road for its spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on Monday and Tuesday with matches against Medaille College and Wentworth Institute of Technology.