The Muhlenberg women's lacrosse team scored in the first minute and never let Swarthmore catch up, winning 11-8 in an key Centennial Conference game.

The Garnet (8-3, 1-2) came in as the second-highest scoring team in the CC and had reached double figures in every game but one, but the Mule defense was equal to the task, allowing only 18 shots while forcing 17 turnovers. Swarthmore had only six goals until putting in two in the final five minutes.

Senior Emily Vaughan led the defense with 6 ground balls and 3 caused turnovers, while senior Melissa Pierpont caused a pair of turnovers.

Sophomore Emma Youngling paced the offense, tying her career high with 7 goals. Senior Jillian Kubikowski added 3, leaving her with 99 for her career.

Kubikowski scored just 42 seconds after the opening draw, and Youngling put in a free-position shot five minutes later to make it 2-0. The teams exchanged goals for the rest of the first period and most of the second.

The Mules (9-2, 2-1) were clinging to a 4-3 lead with less than four minutes to go in the half before scoring three goals in a span of 1:50 in what proved to be the decisive stretch of the game.

Sophomore Alyssa Hartnett scored off one of junior Ava Milia's three assists to begin the rally. After Youngling controlled the ensuing draw, she assisted Kubikowski for a goal, and less than a minute later, Hartnett assisted Youngling to make it 7-3.

The defense prevented Swarthmore from making a serious threat to get back into the game in the second half. Muhlenberg stretched its lead to as many as five goals for a relatively comfortable win against a team it needed overtime to beat last year.

pictured above: sophomore Audrey Cronk