Wilson, N.C. - The North Carolina women's lacrosse team officially opened its 2018 season on Tuesday evening at Division II Barton College, falling by a 20-3 score in Wilson. Freshman Alexandra Cucinotta made the most of her collegiate debut, tallying all three of Wesleyan's goals and recording 11 draw controls on the night.

All three of Cucinotta's scores came on free position shots -- the first coming less than a minute into the match and giving the Bishops a brief 1-0 lead. The freshman from Drexel Hill, Penn. later scored the first and final goals of the second half to complete the scoring. Junior Sydney Smith made ten saves in goal to anchor Wesleyan's defensive effort.

Tuesday's contest versus the Bulldogs was a memorable one as it marked the program's first match since 2014 after being reinstated to varsity status last fall. First-year head coach Bridget Walker also made her collegiate coaching debut for the Bishops.

Wesleyan (0-1) is now set to open up USA South play on Saturday at Averett University. The match is slated for a 1:00pm start.