File photo courtesy Mark Campbell

WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Freshman midfielder Corinne Drost (at right) scored a career-high three goals, but she couldn't rescue the University of Delaware women's lacrosse team from a 17-13 setback to Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary on Sunday afternoon at rainy Albert-Daily Field.

Midfielder Mary Zulty netted five goals for the Tribe, who took a 9-5 lead at halftime and never looked back, while fellow middies Jaime Sellers and Grace Golden found the net four times apiece.

Despite the loss, the Blue Hens (10-5, 4-3 CAA) clinched either the third or fourth seed in the four-team CAA Tournament, which begins May 2.

The Tribe got off to a hot start, scoring the game's first three goals in a 2:41 span. After Zulty's second score of the afternoon put William & Mary up 3-0, Delaware netted three of the next four goals - two of them by senior attack Katie Muth - to trim the margin to 4-3. But Sellers made sure the Hens never got any closer, igniting another 3-0 spurt with two goals in just over three minutes.

Senior attack Casey McCrudden cut the deficit to 7-5 on a Muth feed with 4:55 left in the first half, but Golden and Julia Martin answered with free-position goals just 32 seconds apart to close out the period.

After Golden fired in another free-position try to start the second stanza, the Blue Hen offense exploded for four goals in under six minutes. Freshman midfielder Holly Burman capped off the run by beating William & Mary goalkeeper Emily Geary to make it 11-9 with 22:44 left in regulation.

Just when it seemed that the Hens had momentum on their side, Zulty, Golden, and Sellers netted three unanswered goals midway through the half to effectively end the game. The William & Mary lead ballooned to as many as seven late in the period.

The Tribe (8-8, 4-2 CAA) out-shot UD 35-30, enjoyed a 21-17 edge in ground balls, and dominated the draw control count 20-12. Just as important, William & Mary converted six of its 11 free-position attempts, while the Blue Hens went just 1-for-4.

Muth finished with two goals and two assists for Delaware, which also got two goals from McCrudden. Freshman midfielder Ali Libertini, meanwhile, notched the first two goals of her career late in the second half.

Junior goalkeeper Jessica Cerveny collected 11 saves in a losing effort for the Hens, while Geary made 12 stops of her own in the W&M goal.

Delaware, which fell to 4-4 on the road this season, has now lost two of its last three games.

The Blue Hens close out their regular season schedule on Friday, when they visit Villanova at 6:30 p.m.

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