ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of Northwestern women's lacrosse team welcomed the Cornell College Rams in a Friday evening Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) matchup. The first-ever meeting between the two programs resulted in a victory for UNW, by a final score of 16-13. The Rams fall to 3-4 on the season and 0-3 in MWLC contests. With the win, Northwestern improves to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
 
Northwestern struck first, with Hannah Shands (Hugo, Minn./Mahtomedi) netting a goal 18 seconds into the game. Cornell would then answer back with a pair of goals to take the lead. The rest of the half was a back-and-forth battle between the two squads, as they were trading blows for the 30 minutes. The Eagles would hold the 10-6 lead going into halftime, with Shands and Samantha Wiebold (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) tallying three goals apiece.
 
Northwestern came out strong to start the second, extending the lead to 14-7 with 20 minutes remaining in the game. The Rams were not easy to give up, however. Cornell made a late push in the game to pull within down the stretch, but the UNW defense held strong to secure the win.
 
Annie Ellis (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) and Shands led the Eagle offense, as they each totaled four goals and an assist. Wiebold finished the contest with three goals and an assist, while Talia Sherry (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) added two goals and four assists. In net, Sydney Werlein (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North) picked up eight saves in the win.
 
The Eagles will host the Loras Duhawks Saturday, March 30 with draw time set for 4:00 p.m. for their next contest. For all things Northwestern lacrosse, fans can visit www.unweagles.com