WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Wednesday, April 13, 2011-- Arcadia Women's Lacrosse began their late season playoff push today at Middle Atlantic opponent Wilkes University, using eight different Knights contributing points on the afternoon in their 19-3 victory over the Lady Colonels (0-7). The win gives the Knights their first four-win season in the conference while matching their number of wins from a season ago with three of their five remaining games must-win Middle Atlantic matches if they hope to secure one of the six available spots for the conference championship tournament.

At 4-5 in the league, the Knights sit three wins behind league leader Elizabethtown (7-0) who has two games at hand over Arcadia. With a handful of games remaining for each league team, the Knights will graciously stow today's victory away and look to next Thursday's (4/21) league battle at home against Manhattanville (4-3). That game splits a pair of non-conference matches at Bryn Mawr (4/19) and home against Penn State-Abington (4/23). 

On this day, senior Kreena Patel ignited the afternoon's offense, putting her team up 2-0 by the 27-minute mark with sophomore Meghan Fallon adding a third at 24:30 for a 3-0 Knights lead. Wilkes responded at the twenty minute mark with a goal by Gabby Ford, who finished with the Lady Colonel's only three goals in the game. With a 3-1 lead, Arcadia took over from there, finishing the first half of play with 10 unanswered goals and a 13-1 advantage at the break. Sophomore keeper Deanna Thompson made three first half saves for her fourth win of the season. Junior Amalie Kreitman finished out the second half with one save, two goals against. The Knights would go on to outscore Wilkes 6-2 in the second half.

The Knights boast five starters with ten or more points this season, including two with 38 or more goals.  Fallon, who owns 38 tallies, finished  the game with eight points on four goals, four assists, also earning top honors with seven ground balls. Junior Stephanie Holguin tacked on five goals, and is one shy of her second straight 40-goal season. First-year Sara Volk-Perez rang in with two goals, three assists and moves to 18 points in the year while Patel, also finishing with five points on two goals, two assists, moves to 19 points. Senior Jen Ng, who scored Arcadia's lone free position goal of the day, rounds out the Knight's top scorer's with 10 points.

Also finishing with points this afternoon were senior Kristen Chasse (1G,1A), and first-years Jenna Crothers (1G), Nancy Campbell (1A) and Katie Bauer (1G). Bauer, who finished a strong week last week with three points and team highs in ground balls (13) and caused turnovers (7) added six ground balls against Wilkes to remain above pace with her sixth place ranking within the MAC (3.60). 

While Wilkes dominated the draws 17-7, Arcadia had control of all other stat columns including shots (37-8), turnovers (9-24), and ground balls (34-11). 
 
Arcadia returns to the field for an away game at non-conference Bryn Mawr College on April 19 at 4:30 p.m.