HARRISONBURG, Va., April 8, 2007 -- Sixth-ranked James Madison held off a second-half Delaware comeback and came away with a 19-16 women's lacrosse win in Colonial Athletic Association play Sunday afternoon at the JMU Lacrosse Field.

JMU won its third game in a row and improved its overall record to 9-2 and remained unbeaten in the CAA at 2-0. Delaware, which entered the game riding a five-game winning streak, dropped to 6-4 overall and is 2-1 in league play. All four of the Blue Hens' losses this season have been to Top 20 teams.

In a game that was very even statistically, JMU never trailed and held an eight-goal (16-8) lead with 22:50 remaining.

However, Delaware outscored the Dukes 8-3 in the final 22 minutes to pull to within three but could get no closer.

For the game, each team took 33 shots, and JMU held only a 19-18 advantage on draw controls.

Delaware freshman Nicole Flego (Doylestown, Pa/Central Bucks East) finished with a game-high seven points on five goals and two assists, and senior Katie Muth (Ellicott City, Md/Seton Keough) had six points on five goals and one assist.

JMU juniors Annie Wagner (Annapolis, Md./St. Paul's) and Emily Haller (Fallston, Md./John Carroll) each scored four goals to lead the Dukes.

The Dukes scored on three of their first five shots and led 3-0 at 23:15. Flego then scored twice and assisted on a third goal as Delaware used a 4-2 scoring run to cut JMU's lead to 5-4 at 17:38.

JMU responded by running off five straight goals on just seven shots, with five different players scoring, to pull ahead to a 10-4 advantage with four minutes left. In that same time span the Blue Hens got off five shots, but two sailed wide and three were stopped by JMU junior goalkeeper Kelly Wetzel (Catonsville, Md./Mount De Sales).

Delaware scored four of the game's next five goals, connecting on all four of its attempts in the final 1:37 of the first half and the first 1:40 of the second half. That rally cut JMU's lead to three, 11-8, with 28:20 on the clock.

Wagner scored twice and senior Maria Bosica (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) had a goal and an assist as the Dukes converted their next five shots for five unanswered goals and a 16-8 lead at the 22:50 mark.

That lead proved to be insurmountable despite Delaware's 8-3 scoring advantage in the remainder of the half.

JMU got goals from eight players. In addition to Wagner and Haller, multiple-goal scorers included junior Julie Stone (Annandale, Va./Annandale) with three and senior Lynlea Cronin (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake), junior Natasha Fuchs (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) and senior Kelly Berger (Columbia, Md./Hammond) with two goals apiece.

For Delaware, other multiple-goal scorers were sophomore Debbie Sloan (Thornton, Pa/West Chester East) with three and freshman Courtney Aburn (Jarrettsville, Md/John Carroll) with two.

JMU's Wetzel finished with 12 saves and had a double-digit saves total for the eighth time in 11 matches.

Delaware starting sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Cerveny (Islip, N.Y/Islip) had five saves in 53:21 of play. Freshman goalkeeper Jordan Fischer (Downingtown, Pa/Downingtown West) played 6:39 in the second half.

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HARRISONBURG, VA: University of Delaware freshman Nicole Flego and senior Katie Muth each scored five goals but the Blue Hens fell to No. 6 James Madison, 19-16, in a Colonial Athletic Association battle between two Top 20 teams Sunday at JMU Lacrosse Field.

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2007-04-08