EDWARDSVILLE – Visiting Gwynedd Mercy outscored host Wilkes University 7-3 over the final two quarters to break open a tight contest at the half on way to an 11-6 victory Wednesday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
Wilkes fell to 3-2 overall on the season following the defeat while Gwynedd Mercy improved to 2-4 on the year after recording the road victory.
 
After Gwynedd Mercy opened the scoring with a goal in the first four minutes of the contest, Wilkes responded with back-to-back strikes to end the frame and start the second quarter of play. Max Brown (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) found the back of the net off an assist from Matt LaSorsa (Copiague, N.Y./Copiague) to open the Colonel scoring followed by a goal from Nicholas Ruggiero (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) thanks to a helper from Jeremy Kachel (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata).
 
After the Griffins tied the game at 3-3 with 8:43 left in the half, Ruggiero notched his second goal of the game rifling a shot past the keeper at the 8:09 mark of the second quarter. From there Gwynedd Mercy scored two straight goals to take a slim 4-3 advantage at the break before two more goals to start the third quarter put the visitors ahead 6-3 with 10:33 left in the third stanza.
 
John Wink (Glenside, Pa./Abington) put home back-to-back goals midway through the third quarter to cut the deficit to 6-5 before Gwynedd Mercy rattled off five unanswered goals in a 12 minute span to put the game out of reach. Connor Daly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) recorded his third goal of the season with second remaining to pull the Colonels to within 11-6.
 
Wink and Reggiero led Wilkes on the attack with two goals each. Carter Whittemore (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) finished with 16 saves in the cage for the Colonels. Gwynedd Mercy held a 36-27 shot advantage while both teams tallied 10 faceoff wins and 34 ground balls.
 
Wilkes returns to play Saturday traveling to Bethlehem, Pa. to face Moravian College at 4:00 p.m.