GAMBIER, Ohio – Kenyon College (5-0) faced its toughest competition of the season Wednesday afternoon but was able to prevail over Capital University (3-1) by a 10-9 score in a non-conference women's lacrosse game at McBride Field.

It's the Ladies first 5-0 start to the season since the 2010 squad reeled off eight to begin that year.

Allie McLane helped Kenyon early in the first half against the Crusaders scoring a pair of goals including one nearly seven minutes into the contest which gave the Ladies a 4-1 lead.

But Capital responded after the slow start and was able to tie the game at 4 when Regan Hanood found Taylor Thomas for a goal with 8:22 left.

Following the tying score from Capital, it didn't take Kenyon long to recapture the lead. It was McLane who delivered another goal with 7:01 left to put the Ladies back up 5-4. Kelley Russell capped off Kenyon's first-half scoring efforts with a goal at the 2:39 mark.

The Ladies headed to halftime up 6-4.

Early in the second half, Capital answered again, scoring twice in the first 1:44. Thomas got the first goal of the half and then Kara Hines followed less than 30 seconds later to tie the game at 6.

The back and forth affair went back in Kenyon's favor when Kat Englert tallied her 23rd goal of the year with 25 minutes left and put the Ladies up 7-6.

Again though, the Crusaders rallied back. Victoria Husain's goal with 22:09 left tied the game at 7 and then Capital got its first lead of the highly-contested affair with 17:13 left when Thomas scored on a free-position shot.

The 8-7 deficit was only the second time all season the Ladies found themselves behind.

That one-goal deficit didn't bother the Ladies though as they reeled off the next three goals.

McLane, Jane Symmes, and Englert each scored and gave Kenyon a 10-8 lead with 3:12 left. After that, Capital wasn't able to respond to tie the game.

Hines scored her third goal of the game with 54 seconds left to cut the deficit to 10-9 but that turned out to be the final tally for the Crusaders.

The Ladies were led by McLane's four goals while goalkeeper Meredith Bentsen denied six Capital shots.

Next up for Kenyon is a trip to Wittenberg University (3-1) for a 12 p.m. NCAC contest on March 21.