PHILADELPHIA, PA - The La Salle University lacrosse team hosted the Villanova Wildcats on Friday afternoon at McCarthy Stadium and posted its second win of the season by a score of 15-9.  The Explorers improve to 2-3, while the Wildcats are still winless at 0-6.

The Explorers opened the game by converting their first three shots into three goals.  Sophomore Catie Borneman (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) got things started just over two minutes into the game, and Kristen Davis (Folsom, PA/Ridley) followed with back-to-back goals at the 2:59 mark, assisted by Kat Prokop (Towaco, NJ/Montville Twp.) and an unassisted goal at 3:36.

After a 10 minute scoring drought, the Explorers got back to business when Borneman netted her second goal of the game off a pass from Tiffany Grossi (Ridley Park, PA/Ridley) at 13:42 to put the Explorers up 4-0.  Senior Kate Henwood (Glen Mills, PA/Garnett Valley) got on the scoreboard with the first of her five goals at the 18:34 mark.  Henwood followed that goal by capitalizing on a free position shot with 10:09 left in the half to extended La Salle's lead to 6-0.

Villanova woke up at the 21:55 mark, when sophomore Christina Bahrs (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) scored the Wildcats first goal of the contest.  Teammate Cindy Koa (Thornton, PA/Garnett Valley) scored at the 23:16 mark to bring the score to 6-2.

Davis took advantage of a free position shot to score La Salle's seventh goal of the game with 2:40 left in the half. 

After the break, La Salle's freshman leading scorer Emily Bonczek (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) finally broke free of being closely guarded to score her first goal of the contest to give La Sallean 8-2 cushion before Henwood scored her hat trick with 27:48 left to play. 

Villanova's Kathleen Kelly (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset) answered with back-to-back goals at the 34:25 and 36:04 mark to narrow the margin to 9-4.  Henwood answered with her final two goals of the game to push La Salle's lead to seven at 11-4.

Senior Bess Hanley (Baltimore, MD/Notre Dame Prep) took a pass from Koza to score at the 39:53 mark to get a 4-0 run started for the Wildcats.  Becky Gardner (Manhasset, NY/Harborfields) scored Villanova's next two goals in a span of 1:37.  Kelly notched a hat trick with 16:36 remaining to narrow La Salle's lead to 11-8.

The Explorers did not back down, as Grossi put the ball in the net for the Explorers with 4:27 to play.  Bonczek followed with her second of the day at the 49:41 mark and Davis added her fourth with 1:19 remaining to push La Salle's lead back to 14-8.

Villanova tried one last time with a goal by Alexandra Garvey (Summit, NJ/Summit) with less than a minute to play.

Bonczek put the finishing touch on the Explorers with with a goal with 28 seconds remaining to give La Salle the 15-9 victory.

La Salle split the goalkeeping duties with Chantelle McCormick (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) taking the first half.  McCormick faced seven shots, allowing two goals and posting four saves.  In the second half, Brittany Friedrich (Dayton, MD/River Hill) took over the duties facing 14 shots and stopping four. Villanova's Lauren Latchford (Morristown, NJ/Oak Knoll School) suffered the loss, playing 34:21 and facing 24 shots.  Latchford allowed nine goals and posted eight saves.

The Explorers will face their next opponent, Virginia Tech, in a non-conference contest on Sunday at McCarthy Stadium at 12:00 p.m.