Box Score Middletown, Conn. - The visiting Trinity College Bantams dropped a 12-9 decision against the Wesleyan University Cardinals in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's lacrosse action this evening at Smith Field.  Trinity, ranked No. 18 in the nation, drops top 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the NESCAC West Division with its third loss in a row and its second-straight to the Cardinals.  No. 13-ranked Wesleyan finishes its regular season at 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the division.  Trinity hosts division foe Hamilton on Sunday at 3 p.m. in its last regular season game.

Trinity senior Kendall Milligan (Needham, Mass.) and junior Lilliana Khosrowshahi (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) scored early goals and the game was tied 2-2 in the opening seven minutes.  Wesleyan scored back to back soon after and maintained its lead the rest of the way.  Sophomore attacker Lily Ives (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and senior captain Olivia Weckwerth (Westborough, Mass.) each scored to cut the Trinity deficit to one in the first half, but a 4-0 Cardinal run made the score, 9-4, in Wesleyan's favor in opening minutes of the second half.  Milligan assisted junior Ellie Kirkpatrick (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) on a goal and scored another to pull the Bantams to within three points at 12-9 with 1:27 on the clock, but Trinity turned the ball over on its final possession.

Trinity outshot Wesleyan, 23-21, and committed 14 turnovers to 19 for the Cardinals.  Wesleyan had 20 ground balls to 13 for Trinity and won the draw control battle, 13-9. Milligan finished with a hat trick plus an assist, while Ives scored twice, and senior tri-captain Marcella Flibotte (Cohasset, Mass.) added a goal and an assist for the Bantam offense.  Flibotte also collected two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two draw controls, while junior defender Anna Costello (Westport, Conn.) had three ground balls and two caused turnovers.  Bantam goalies Alyssa Vitale (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Addison Newsome (Winnetka, Ill.) combined for four saves.  Johanna Copeland paced Wesleyan with five goals.