FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Cassie Walter scored seven goals, and the Methodist women's lacrosse team pulled away in the second half for a 15-11 win over Sweet Briar at Monarch Stadium on Friday afternoon.
 
Methodist tallied the first three goals of the game, the first coming from Emily Brennen and Walter adding a pair, as the Monarchs took 3-0 lead by the 10:29 mark of the first half. From there the scoring came fast and furious as the two teams combined for 11 goals over the final 10 minutes.
 
Four straight tallies by the Vixens, including three from Kim Orchowski, spotted Sweet Briar to a 4-3 lead at the 8:03 mark. The Monarchs wrestled the lead away with goals from Walter and Maddi Ronelli to take a 5-4 lead 5:59 before the break. The two teams traded goals down the stretch and after Reba Gagne scored with 18 seconds left in the first half, the teams went into the intermission tied 7-7.
 
MU scored the first four goals of the second half to run out to an 11-7 lead with 17:31 remaining in the contest. Ronelli started the scoring with an unassisted tally, Walter added a free position shot before Ronelli scored again, and Brennen capped the run when she scored off a feed from Ronelli.
 
Kelsey Barta answered with an unassisted goal for the Vixens to pull SBC within three (11-8), but that would be as close as Sweet Briar would get the remainder of the game as the trio of Brennen, Ronelli and Walter answered every challenge from the visitors.
 
Emily Ewin, making her first collegiate start for MU, face 39 shots and came up big with 18 saves on the day. Emily Williams was in the cage for Sweet Briar and made 12 saves on the day as MU fired 35 shots. The Vixens dominated the draw circle, coming away with 21 draw controls to seven for the Monarchs. Each team turned the ball over 31 times, and the Monarchs held a 37-30 edge in ground balls.
 
Ronelli and Brennen each finished with four goals on the day. Ronelli added a pair of assists and Walter had one helper. Bianca Terenzi led the Monarchs with seven ground balls, Gabbi Tobias had six, and Ewin and Emily Creasy had five apiece. Ronelli forced four turnovers, and Terenzi and Creasy each came up with three. Hope Motahari had a team-best three draw controls.
 
For Sweet Briar, Orchowski had four goals and three assists, Gagne added three goals, and Monica Ewansik chipped in a pair of goals. Gagne, Ewansik and Allison McLamb all had six ground balls, Kelsey Barta added six draw controls and Ewansik forced six turnovers.
 
Methodist is back on the field on Feb. 20, when it travels to Randolph for a 5:00 pm contest.