WASHINGTON – Behind a seven-point performance from junior Mary Swarthout CUA downed McDaniel 15-9 on Thursday afternoon inside Cardinal Stadium.  The Cardinals jumped out to an 8-2 halftime lead and improved to 10-3 with the victory.  Swarthout went over the 40-goal plateau for the season with five scores on the day.

McDaniel's Chelsea Watkins struck first with a goal 52 seconds into the contest, but CUA scored the next two goals, one by Lindsay Davenport and another by Meghan Brady, to go on top 2-1.

Lisa Jurd tied things at two with her score with 24:57 to go before halftime, but that proved to be the Green Terror's final goal of the opening 30 minutes.

Katie Buonpastore began a 6-0 CUA run with a goal at the 24:48 mark and Swarthout followed with back-to-back scores to put the Cardinals on top 5-2.

Davenport, Buonspastore and Swarthout closed the half with three straight goals and CUA took an 8-2 advantage into intermission.

Davenport began the second half with her third goal of the afternoon to put the Cardinals in front by seven, but Paige Messersmith countered with a score of her own to make it a 9-3 game with 22:11 to play.

Kelly Ryan scored CUA's tenth goal with 20:45 on the clock, before Jurd made it 10-4 with her second score of the game.

Swarthout and Chelsea Gleason then scored back-to-back goals for the Cardinals to put the home team in front by eight, and following a Green Terror score, Davenport found the back of the net yet again to make it 13-5 CUA.

With 10:10 on the clock Jurd began a 3-0 run by the Green Terror as they closed to within 13-8, but Brady and Swarthout scored two straight for the Cardinals and the lead was back up to seven.

Messersmith scored the game's final goal with 2:52 to play on a free position shot.

CUA outshot the Green Terror 37-24 on the day and also picked up more ground balls than its counterpart (30-20).  The Green Terror led 14-12 in draw controls, including a 9-6 advantage in the second half, but CUA forced McDaniel into 22 turnovers.

Meghan Murray and Swarthout led the Cardinals with three caused turnovers apiece, and that pair also led CUA in ground balls with four each.  Brady and Mallory Vogel were the team leaders in draw controls with three and in goal Gabby Sena made eight saves in 56 minutes of action. 

McDaniel goal keeper Aimee Semler stopped nine shots for the visitors and Jurd and Watkins finished with three goals each.

CUA is now off until hosting Rowan on Wednesday, April 27.  The opening draw from inside Cardinal Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.