WHEELING, W.Va. - - Host Wheeling Jesuit University outscored UVa-Wise 8-3 in the second half to claim a 17-10 victory in a game that featured a pair of previously unbeaten teams in the Mountain East Conference Friday night. Senior Jessie Tufnell led the Cardinals with six goals, including four in the decisive second period.

Tufnell scored the contest's opening goal when she scored off a Markie Wright assist less than 90 seconds into the game to give Wheeling Jesuit (10-5, 5-0 MEC) an early lead.

UVa-Wise's (10-3, 3-1 MEC) tied the game 14 seconds later when McKayla Grasham scored unassisted.

The two sides would alternate goals until the halfway mark of the opening half as Wright scored for her second point of the game while teammates Paige Plesich and Kori Hickman also scored for the Cardinals.

The Cavaliers received goals from Emily Henneberry and Sydney Steinberg to keep the visitors within striking distance.

Hickman's goal for Wheeling Jesuit proved to be the first of five straight for the Cardinals. Hickman scored three of the five goals while Kate Calder and Plesich also scored. Tufnell added two assists in the spurt.

Trailing 8-3, Taylor Lawton and Emily Henneberry scored back-to-back goals for UVa-Wise to cut the deficit to three with 4:52 to play.

Tufnell scored with 2:22 remaining in the half to push the lead to 9-5 only to see the Cavs' Grasham score two goals in less than a minute to send her team to intermission trailing 9-7.

Playing with a combined 10 juniors and seniors, the experience of the Cardinals paid dividends in the final 30 minutes.

Seven of Wheeling Jesuit's second half goals came from juniors or seniors as the hosts opened the half on a 6-2 scoring run.

After falling behind 12-8, UVa-Wise would be unable to get closer than three goals at any point over the final 20 minutes of play.

Henneberry and Grasham led the Cavs with three goals each while Rachel Cole posted a game-high seven draw controls.

Wheeling Jesuit's Lyndsay Carpenter (6) and Olivia Krock (5) combined for 11 groundballs. Tufnell finished with nine points and took 16 of the Cardinals' 42 shots in the contest.

Next up for UVa-Wise is a trip to West Virginia Wesleyan Sunday. Game time is set for 11 a.m.