HIGH POINT, N.C. – UMBC women's lacrosse received goals from four different players as the Retrievers built up a four-goal cushion in the opening period and held off High Point for a 7-5 victory on Saturday afternoon at Vert Stadium.

UMBC had a pair of players finish with two goals apiece, led by three points from the Retrievers' points leader Abby Wilson (Bel Air, Fallston). Sophomore Mackenzie Reese (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll School) chipped in a pair of first-half scores, bringing her season-total to six goals.

The Retrievers scored four straight goals to finish out the first half and built up a four-goal lead at the break. The Panthers awoke in the second half, tallying two unanswered to pull within two. Wilson put a stop to the run with her first score of the afternoon, but High Point netted the next two to pull within one, 5-4. Wilson notched her second of the afternoon to allow the Retrievers to hold on for their third straight victory.

UMBC evens the all-time series at one apiece and improves to 3-2 on the season, while High Point falls to 1-4 on the year.

Reese and Wilson connected for the game's opening score 45 seconds into the matchup, to put UMBC out in front, 1-0. The Panthers evened the score 6:26 in on their only score of the period, on a goal from Kristina Renner.

Sophomore Caroline Haggerty (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll School) finished into the top left corner of the net to put UMBC out in front, 2-1, with 21:38 to go in the opening half. The Panthers looked for the response after picking up a Retriever turnover, but rookie goalkeeper Kelsey Major (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) was there to make the save and preserve UMBC's advantage.

Sophomore Jennie Milligan (Crofton, Md./South River) added to the Retrievers' advantage with 15:32 on the clock in the first half, finishing low a free position shot, her fourth score of the year. Rookie Carolyn Jamison (Westminster, Md./Westminster) got in on the action 39 seconds later, blasting home a shot between two defenders to give UMBC a three-goal cushion, 4-1.

Reese scored her second of the half on a free position attempt with less than 10 minutes to go in the period, the fourth unanswered score for the Retrievers, to help UMBC to a 5-1 lead. The Retrievers would maintain the four-goal advantage at the break, outshooting the Panthers, 15-5 in the half and picking up five of the period's seven draw controls.

Back-to-back free position attempts for HPU in the opening minute of the second half helped Emily Meier and the Panthers to get back on the board and pull within three, 5-2. High Point scored its second of the half, again coming on a free position attempt, when Allie Foard drilled a shot between the legs of Major with 18:49 to play in the contest.

The Retrievers remained patient on the offensive end, despite being held scoreless for the first 21:34 of the second half. Wilson made a move on a pair of defenders to get her first goal of the game and put a stop to the High Point run, but HPU responded less than a minute later, again the free position score. The Panthers, who held a 5-2 advantage in draws in the period, pulled within one, 6-5, on Foard's second score of the afternoon with 8:19 remaining.

HPU almost got the equalizer on a bounced shot with 4:00 to go from Meier, but the shot nailed the post to keep the Retrievers out in front. Wilson's second goal of the contest gave the Retrievers breathing room for the final 2:07 of the contest, helping UMBC to victory.

The Retrievers held a 27-15 shot advantage in the matchup. Major (3-2) finished the contest with four stops, while Julia Burns (1-4) tallied eight saves in the loss.  

UP NEXT: The Retrievers close out a three-game road stretch at No. 1 Maryland on Wednesday, March 4.