EDWARDSVILLE – Alexis Guttilla (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) led a balanced Wilkes University attack scoring five goals and added two assists as the Colonels cruised to an 18-4 season opening victory over visiting Pitt-Bradford on Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
The win marked the first for head coach Taylor Drumheller who made her Wilkes coaching debut. Pitt-Bradford fell to 1-2 on the season following the defeat.
 
Guttilla scored early and often for Wilkes notching the first two goals of the game thanks to assists from Giavana Famiano (Cape May, NJ/Middle Township) and Taylor Sparks (Monroeville, NJ/Woodstown) respectively. Madyson Martinez (Owasso, OK/Owasso) found the back of the net for the first time in her career pushing the lead to 3-0 with 7:34 left in the first quarter.
 
Pitt-Bradford scored its first goal of the game three minutes later cutting the advantage to two, but another strike from the Colonels' Karinne Podwika (Duryea, PA/Pittston Area Senior) put the hosts ahead 4-1 after one.
 
Wilkes put some distance on the scoreboard with five straight goals to start the second quarter. Halie Albright (Taneytown, MD/Francis Scott Key) (13:16 and 3:53), Sparks (10:50), Martinez (10:18) and Nina-Lily Veale (Franklin, TN/Franklin) did the damage in the five-goal flurry.
 
After the second Pitt-Bradford goal of the contest, Morgan Hettesheimer (Monroe Twp., PA/Tunkhannock Area) (on the man-up) and Guttilla finished off the first half scoring with Wilkes leading 11-2 at the break.
 
Wilkes then outscored Pitt-Bradford 7-2 over the second 30 minutes of play on way to the double-digit non-conference victory.
 
Eight different Colonels scored in the win with five coming with assists. Guttilla led the attack with seven points while Albright and Martinez each added three goals. Sparks finished with three points on two goals and one helper.
 
Davyn Bonvie (Wyoming, PA/Dallas) made her first start in net recording the win finishing with two saves.
 
Wilkes outshot Pitt-Bradford 29-10 while finishing 9-for-13 on clearing attempts. The Colonels also dominated the circle posting wins in 19-of-25 draw controls.
 
Wilkes is back in action Wednesday with its first road test at Gwynedd-Mercy University starting at 4:00 p.m.