KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2024) – Rookie midfielder Leslie Wysong (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) notched the game-winning tally in overtime as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's lacrosse team opened its 2024 campaign with an 8-7 victory over Wellesley College on Saturday at Brooks Stadium. The win marked the third consecutive season that the Mariners claimed victory in their opening contest of the season; the afternoon contest was the first game for both teams.
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Freshman Leslie Wysong
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Coach Kyle Simensky 

The first quarter of the game saw strong defensive efforts on both sides including a combined five saves from the two goalies in the contest. Wellesley nearly had the opening marker of the game with six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening frame, but Finley Tipton's free-position shot was saved by the Mariners' Karianna Eagle (Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J.), setting up first-year midfielder Grace Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa.) to open the scoring with her first career tally less than a minute later.
 
Wysong won the ensuing draw control, and the Mariners quickly went up by two goals as senior attack Reagan Jetter (La Jolla, Calif.) took a feed from classmate Kaitlyn Latchaw (Phoenix, Md.) and shot one past Wellesley keeper Anna Blake Patrick. Wysong immediately won the next draw control for the Mariners and would later assist on Picozzi's second tally of the game as the Mariners struck for three goals in just under a minute of play. Wellesley would tally a goal of their own with two-and-a-half minutes remaining as Mallory Kennison scored on a free-position attempt for the Blue.
 
Wellesley would end the first quarter down a player following a penalty and Jetter opened the second frame with a free-position goal on the advantage to give USMMA a 4-1 edge. Latchaw's goal with 13:08 on the clock off a feed from Wysong would put the Mariners up by a 5-1 margin and the hosts would lead 6-3 at the halftime break with Latchaw collecting another goal in the quarter on a free-position attempt.
 
The third quarter was an offensive struggle on both sides, with Tipton scoring the only marker of the frame for Wellesley to cut the Mariners' lead to a 6-4 advantage going into the final period of regulation. In the final frame, Kennison and Wysong traded markers for their respective sides in the first five minutes of play with USMMA leading 7-5 at the midpoint of the quarter.
 
Wellesley's Katie McCabe connected on a free-position marker with six-and-a-half minutes to go in regulation, and the visitors tied the score with two minutes left to play on a free-position goal from Gabrielle Shell. The score would be tied at 7-all as the game advanced to overtime, where the Mariners outshot the Blue by a 3-0 margin including Wysong's eventual winning tally with 44 seconds to go in the extra frame.
 
Wysong and Picozzi each contributed a game-high four points with two goals and two assists apiece in the win with Latchaw and Jetter contributing the remainder of the offense by tacking on two goals each. Picozzi added a team-high nine ground balls and seven draw controls with Wysong boasting six draw controls, five ground balls and five caused turnovers as well.
 
The defensive effort was also led by senior Brittany Breland (Bryan, Texas), who contributed five ground balls and two caused turnovers, as well as a four-ground ball, four-caused turnover day from sophomore Nicole Nagengast (Seaford, N.Y.). Jetter and senior defender Caroline Collins (Sayville, N.Y.) each posted three ground balls in the victory. Eagle notched her first win of the season with a seven-save performance.
 
USMMA was dominant in the draw circle, winning 16 of 18 total attempts on the day. The Mariners also posted a 17-for-21 effort on defensive clears.
 
Kennison led all goal-scorers with three goals while McCabe contributed a goal and two assists for Wellesley. In net for the Blue, Patrick boasted a 12-save effort on the afternoon.
 
The Mariners will next head to rival Coast Guard Academy on Saturday, March 2, for the latest chapter in the Superintendents' Trophy rivalry. The opening draw is set for 12 p.m. up in New London, N.Y. Live links for the game can be found on the USMMA Women's Lacrosse Schedule Page.
 
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