photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- Nittany Lions senior midfielder Theresa Bucci scored five goals and added an assist to lead the No. 14 Penn State women’s lacrosse team to a 12-8 victory over the University of Delaware Saturday afternoon at rain-soaked Rullo Stadium.

Molly Fernandez added a goal and three assists for Penn State, which improved to 4-2 on the season. Mary Dean, who entered the game with just one goal, tallied three times for the Nittany Lions, while Jen Steadman chipped in with two goals and an assist.

UD junior midfielder Ali Libertini (at right) scored a team-high three goals for the Blue Hens, who dropped their third straight while falling to 1-4 on the year. Brittany Griel, Julianna Jeffers, Courtney Aburn, Blair King and Stephanie Allen added a goal apiece for Delaware, which fell to 7-23 all-time against Penn State.

Erica Mihm opened the scoring for the Nittany Lions off a feed from Steadman just 1:54 into the contest, but goals by Libertini and King put the Blue Hens in front with 18:36 remaining in the opening half. Steadman and Bucci found the back of the net as Penn State surged in front, but Aburn and Griel scored 50 seconds apart to make it a 4-3 Delaware lead with 10:40 on the clock.

However Bucci found Steadman for a goal and then scored off a feed from Fernandez to give the Nittany Lions a one-goal lead. Allen scored at the 4:28 mark to knot the game, but Dean posted her first tally of the game on a free position shot with 2:55 left as Penn State took a 6-5 advantage into the half.

Dean opened the second half scoring with 28:44 to go, but Libertini scored off a Angela Biciocchi pass with 25:39 left to bring Delaware back within one. Bucci took a feed from Fernandez and scored, but after six scoreless minutes Jeffers answered with a free position goal to cut the Nittany Lions’ advantage to 8-7 at the 15:02 mark.

But Penn State would pull away from there, as Bucci scored twice and Dean added an unassisted goal to make it an 11-7 game with 5:30 remaining.

Libertini scored her third goal on a free position shot with 3:48 left, but Fernandez closed the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 2:24 mark to give the Nittany Lions the four-goal victory.

Penn State goalkeeper Stephanie Ellis made six saves in the Nittany Lion cage, while Makenzie Worthington also stopped six shots for the Blue Hens.

Penn State held a 29-18 shot advantage and a slim 24-22 edge in groundballs.

Delaware returns to action on Wednesday when the Blue Hens travel to Temple for a 3 p.m. contest with the Owls.