PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Wellesley College lacrosse was edged by Colby-Sawyer College, 9-8, in a non-conference contest at the Spring Fling Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Wednesday morning at Publix Sports Park.

Wellesley (1-5) got on the board first when junior Finley Tipton (Coppell, Texas) corralled a pass from sophomore Sofia Pietrus (Raleigh, N.C.) and put a shot away. The Chargers (5-1) answered back with a senior Soph Kuhlthau (Cheshire, Conn.) goal, assisted by junior Elena Bronson (Bristol, Vt.). A Tipton free position goal and a score from sophomore Mallory Kennison (Norway, Maine) gave the Blue a 3-1 edge after 15 minutes of play.

The Blue ran the score to 4-1, three minutes into the second quarter, when first-year Charlotte Petersen-Kopman (St. Louis, Mo.) fired in a goal on Tipton's second assist of the day. The Chargers cut it to 4-3 with goals from sophomores Rose Finlayson (Hopkinton, N.H.) and Madeline Knight (Pownal, Maine). Tipton then finished the hat trick while junior Cecilia Ponzini (Windham, N.H.) retaliated for Colby-Sawyer to keep the game within one, 5-4, at the end of the first half.

Less than two minutes into the third, Colby-Sawyer senior Heather Hanson (Barnstable, Mass.) found the back of the net to tie the game at 5-5. Wellesley retook the lead with Kennison's second tally of the contest. Kuhlthau and Hanson answered with goals to give the Chargers their first lead of the game, 7-6. Kennison became the second Blue player with a hat trick after tying the game at 4:17. Colby-Sawyer received a pair of goals in the final two minutes from Kuhlthau and Hanson who also notched their third goals of the game. 

Wellesley cut the deficit in half, less than three minutes into the final frame. Sophomore Amelia Dupont (New York, N.Y.) set up Kennison who scored for the fourth time. Unfortunately, that would be the only goal in the fourth giving Colby-Sawyer the 9-8 victory.

Kuhlthau led Colby-Sawyer with five points on three goals and two assists. Hanson finished with three goals and five draw controls. 

Tipton led the Blue with three goals, two assists, five ground balls and four caused turnovers. Kennison registered three goals and an assist. Pietrus contributed an assist, three ground balls and three caused turnovers. 

Senior AJ Paton (Exeter, N.H.) earned the win with five saves for the Chargers. Wellesley junior Anna Blake Patrick (Portland, Ore.) finished with a season best 13 saves. 

Wellesley will return home to host Clark University in a NEWMAC showdown at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 22. Colby-Sawyer welcomes Johnson & Wales University at 12:00 PM that same day.