(box score)
Junior Rachel Porter (Medford, NJ) scored five goals and helped Widener take control early in the second half to win its season opener, 10-8 at Immaculata.
Porter netted three of her team's first five goals to help Widener open a 5-2 cushion with 8:26 to go in the first half. Sophomore Julia Costello (Brookhaven, PA) and senior Calina Walz (Medford, NJ) also tallied in that span.
The Mighty Macs closed to 5-4 with 2:19 remaining on tallies by Allison Salvo and Rebecca Whiteman.
But Porter took over from there, beginning her charge with 40 seconds to go in the first half on a goal that gave Widener a 6-4 cushion. She netted her finale just 61 seconds into the second half for a three-goal lead and Walz' second just 2 1/2 minutes later made it 8-4.
Immaculata (0-1) tried to make things interesting by getting consecutive markers from Whiteman, Kacie O'Neill and Lauren Bigos for a 9-8 deficit with 14:49 to go. But sophomore Alex Taratuski (Ambler, PA) tallied with 13:38 remaining for the final.
Freshman Amy Albano (Columbia, MD) also scored with Costello adding two assists for the Pride (1-0), who closed with a 31-18 shots edge and a decided 16-4 margin in draw controls. Costello had five ground balls, three draw controls and four caused turnovers, sophomore Sarah Hollywood (Mullica Hill, NJ) totaled five ground balls and senior Mellany Broomall (Clarksboro, NJ) notched three draw controls.
Sophomore Linda Salcedo (Media, PA) made six saves for the Pride, who topped the Mighty Macs in a season opener for the second straight year.
Porter's goals are one shy of her career best set last year, when she netted six against Lebanon Valley on March 27.
O'Neill scored three times with Whiteman and Bigos netting a pair each for Immaculata. Britt Worthington made 10 saves.
Widener on Tuesday plays Occidental beginning at 10:00 pm Eastern (7:00 pm Pacific) in Los Angeles, CA.
