By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant

SPOKANE, WASH. – The Willamette University women's lacrosse team turned in another strong performance on Saturday, April 9, posting a 13-8 win at Whitworth University. The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead and made a run at the end of the first half as they improved to 9-3 overall and 6-1 in the Northwest Conference. The Pirates dropped to 4-7 and 2-5 in the NWC.

Willamette scored first and took a 4-1 lead in the first quarter. Laura Kelly (Sr., A, Mountain View, CA/Mountain View HS) opened the scoring and finished a pair of assists from Lily Bachiochi (Fy., A, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) in the opening run. Maddie Garcia (Jr., M, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito HS) added a goal and Catie Kawamura (Jr., A, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) gave Bachiochi her third assist of the game to make the score 4-1, with just under three minutes to play in the period.

Whitworth answered with a pair of goals in the final 1:39 to cut the deficit to 4-3 at the end of the first. The Pirates pulled even, adding another goal in the opening minute of the second quarter.

The Bearcats closed out the half with a 4-0 run. Kawamura found the net twice with Garcia scoring another and Bachiochi adding a goal and assist to stretch the lead to 8-4.

The teams went back-and-forth in the third with Willamette holding an 11-6 advantage at the end of the quarter. Garcia started things off with a free position goal at the 11:53 mark. Bachiochi fed Kelly with her fifth assist of the game and later scored off a feed from Kawamura.

Kelly netted her fourth of the day with an assist from Analise Wilson (So, M, Temecula, CA/Chaparral HS) and Bachiochi put the Bearcats in front 13-6 with 9:24 remaining in the game. Whitworth countered with a pair of goals for the final of 13-8.

Bachiochi led the attack with eight points, scoring three goals and handing out five assists. Kelly finished with four goals while Kawamura and Garcia each tallied three. Senior Emma Canchola (D, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) anchored the defensive effort with eight caused turnovers and eight ground balls. Wilson picked up five GBs and forced four turnovers to go with her assist.

Kiana Gottschalk (Jr., D, Bend, OR/Bend HS) controlled six ground balls while Shea Richardson-Pepper (Fy., D/M, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) added three GBs and three caused turnovers. Shelby Sawyer (Jr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) made seven saves on the day.

Willamette travels to Walla Walla, Washington on Sunday to face Whitman College in a Northwest Conference match up. The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PDT)