EDWARDSVILLE, PA – The Wilkes University Colonels hosted the DeSales Bulldogs at Schmidt Stadium for a Senior Day Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom battle.
 
The Colonels (3-8, 1-3 MACF) mounted a comeback after falling behind the Bulldogs (5-7, 1-2) 7-4, but the Bulldogs found the last goal and shut down the Navy and Gold in the last critical minutes to go home with an 8-7 victory.
 
The Bulldogs struck first with a pair of goals in the first two minutes and two seconds of play, but the Colonels tied it up at two-all going into the second period thanks to goals from Savannah Bauman (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) at 10:58 and Allyson Joly (Lincoln, RI/The Tilton School) at 3:27.  The Colonel seniors would continue the run into the first stages of the second period, with Domencia Lerch scoring at 13:41 and Bauman notching another goal at 12:28.
 
DeSales rattled off five straight goals from 4:29 in the second to 7:20 in the third, taking over the game for the better part of 15 minutes.  The Colonels collected themselves and took advantage of a penalty to notch a 3:06 goal in the third frame, with Brooklyn Pedana (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) getting an assist from Bauman.  Lerch tacked on another at 8:24 in the fourth, before Bauman completed a hat trick at 7:00.  The Bulldogs would find a critical goal at 2:57 before the defenses clamped down on one another, forcing several turnovers and failed clears.  The Bulldogs came out of the defensive scramble with the ball and the Colonels failed to get the ball back in the final seconds of play as they fell 8-7.
 
Bauman did a bit of everything for the Colonels, recording three goals and an assist on top of three ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.  Keara Dugey (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley) recorded a team-high four ground balls, while Ashley Coughlin (Northampton, PA/Northampton) was stout in goal with 10 saves.  Michaela Regan earned the victory for DeSales in goal, with nine saves and six ground balls.  Jess Brey and Marina Bradly both recorded hat tricks for the Bulldogs.
 
The Colonels look to bounce back as they travel to Williamsport, Pa. Wednesday to face the Lycoming Warriors.  The game is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. in a live stats era series the Warriors lead 3-1, but the Colonels won the 2021 version of the match 19-11.