PHILADELPHIA – Strength in numbers struck again for the George Mason women's lacrosse team on Friday night.

With their top two scorers held in check, the Patriots received standout performances from Alexa McGovern, Jordan Sdanowich and Brooke Lorber in a 14-8 victory over La Salle at McCarthy Stadium. The trio combined for 14 points, with McGovern and Sdanowich each scoring four goals and Lorber dishing out a career-high five assists and adding a goal for a career-high six-point night.

Mason (9-3, 4-1 Atlantic 10) picked up its seventh win in eight games and is off to its best conference start since 2005 when the Patriots were in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“We're just really trying to spread the ball around and it is making the difference in these pretty tight matches,” head coach Jessy Morgan said. “When we have Jackie (Spalding) and Chachi (Kelehan) marked up pretty well, we have other girls who can score effectively so it is really making the difference this year. We have other girls who can carry the load. It shows a sign of maturity on the offensive side of the ball.”

Jacquelyn Spalding and Chachi Kelehan entered the game leading the team with 25 goals apiece but netted just one goal each against La Salle. But with a team that had five players with at least 20 points this season before Friday's contest, the Patriots showed why their tough to defend.

The Patriots jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than four minutes in and never trailed. Sdanowich had a hat trick by halftime and tied her career high in goals. Three of her four goals were off assists from Lorber, who tied for the second-most assists in a single game in program history. 

“We work best when everyone is involved and there is not just driving – there is also feeding,” Lorber said. “I think it really worked well when there are the two players behind (the cage) feeding and the girls up top are cutting. That's where we get most of our looks from. I like to set up people more than drive to goal. I like to create. I think it feels just as good as a goal to me.”

The Patriots the last four goals of the first half and took a 9-3 lead into halftime. They stretched the advantage to seven goals less than seven minutes into the second half. La Salle (4-8, 2-3) did pull within five goals three times in the second half but Mason's defense kept the Explorers from getting any closer.

La Salle turned the ball over 21 times and took just 16 shots. Mason goalkeeper Elizabeth Benedetto made five saves and improved to 6-1.

“Tonight we played a pretty high risk, high reward style of defense,” Morgan said. “We knew (La Salle) was going to get a few easy goals. But we knew over the long run of the game we were going to wear them down defensively and that's pretty much what happened.”

In addition to McGovern, Sdanowich and Lorber's offensive output, Melissa Lobaccaro scored twice, Hannah Warpinski had a goal and an assist and Chloe Chan dished out an assist.

The Patriots return home to play Duquesne at 12 p.m. on Sunday at George Mason Stadium. The Dukes (5-7, 3-2) are coming off an overtime loss to Saint Joseph's on Friday. Mason is 0-2 all-time against Duquesne, with both meetings coming in the last two years.

A win against Duquesne would be crucial as the Patriots try to earn one of the top two seeds for Atlantic 10 Tournament. With four regular-season games remaining, Mason is tied for second in the conference with Saint Joseph's.

“We know we can compete,” Morgan said. “It is going to be about who competes the best and the longest on that particular day. But we know, man for man, we can stick with them. So we have a chance.”