WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson college women's lacrosse team picked up their first Presidents' Athletic Conference victory of the season with a Wednesday night win over the visiting Thiel Tomcats, 17-9.
 
The Presidents uplift to a 3-4 overall record on the year with a 1-1 conference slate thus far. Thiel picks up their first loss of the season, moving to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
 
Captain Mya Bolinda (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) scored a game-high five goals with two assists. Bolinda also added eight draw controls and one ground ball. Avery Byard (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) and Anna Kloehn (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) each netted hat tricks as well with four and three goals, respectively.
 
Caleigh Bogats (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) made her presence known all over the field with eight ground balls, seven caused turnovers and two goals. Captain Ella Phillips (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) picked up six ground balls with two caused turnovers on the night.
 
W&J kicked off the highly touted matchup with the first score of the night off an unassisted effort from Brynne Stewart (Painesville, Ohio/Andrews Osborne Academy). Thiel answered quickly with a goal of their own but was trailed by three-straight W&J goals. Byard netted a goal off the feed from Stewart to kick off the scoring spree. Bolinda then rattled off goals separated by 22 seconds off the sticks of Kloehn and Stewart to put the Presidents up 4-2 after one quarter of regulation.
 
Thiel opened the second quarter with a goal to reduce the differential to one. Bogats and Bolinda each answered with a goal each t put the Presidents up 6-3. Trading goals to end the first half of play, W&J led 7-5.
 
The Presidents owned the third quarter of action, outscoring the Tomcats 6-1 in an effort to put the game out of reach. Byard and Stewart struck first with goals off passes from Ella Holland (Healdsburg, Calif./Cardinal Newman). Stewart returned the favor with an assist to Holland for the team's double figure goal, up 10-5. After the Tomcats broke up the scoring, Bogats and Kloehn each scored consecutive free-position goals. Bolinda capped the third quarter with a goal to put the Presidents up 13-6.
 
Thiel netted two quick goals in the midst of the fourth quarter but were evened by goals from Kloehn and Byard to maintain the seven-point lead. Byard and Kloehn went back-to-back on goals to close the 17-9 victory over Thiel.
 
Gianna Baker (Carlisle, Pa./Trinity) picked up her first win of the season with five saves in 60 minutes of work.
 
The Presidents return to action on Saturday (March 29) as they face the Chatham Cougars. Opening draw is set for 1:00 p.m.