ERIE, Pa. – After facing a tie at the halftime break, Villanova used a 6-2 scoring advantage in the second half to roll on to an 11-7 win over Gannon in the team's final game at the Curtis Robinette Memorial Invite on Sunday.

The win over Gannon (2-5) marks the third straight on the year for Villanova (5-6), their longest winning streak in a season since stringing together four in the 2019 season.

Kaysie Stuba led the 'Cats with four goals, adding three assists for a second straight seven-point game and a team-high three steals. Emily Morrissey added on a trio of goals, matching her season-high on the year for a third time. Abigail Shelby made four saves in net, one of those coming on a five-meter attempt by the Golden Knights.

"Second half was better," Villanova head coach Larry Sanders said. "A 3-1 weekend; tough to complain about the wins, but there is still work to be done in practice. I liked our resilience and the ability to fight to the end of the game."

Villanova was off and running to open the game, taking hold of a quick 3-0 run with goals from Emily Morrissey¸ Kaysie Stuba and a powerplay goal for Allie Hansen. Gannon found its footing in the late in the period with Julie Kreidinger and Beatrice Popescu netting goals nearly a minute apart to cut the Wildcat lead to one at 3-2.

Gannon's Jade Strickland brought the game even just over three minutes into the second quarter before Morrissey answered on a powerplay to put Villanova back ahead, 4-3.  A pair of Wildcat powerplays came up successful with Morrisey and Stuba converting on each, pulling the Wildcats ahead again, 5-3. Gannon used a streak of back-to-back goals from Beatrice Popescu and Nicole Wiemken to tie it at five by halftime.

Villanova's defense stood up in the third, holding the Golden Knights scoreless in a 3-0 frame. The period started with a fury thanks to Stuba, delivering looks to the upper 90 in back-to-back attempts to push the Cats' advantage up 7-5. Morrissey had the other goal with 20 seconds left on the clock in the period, making it an 8-5 contest.

Popescu put on goal on the board for Gannon just over two minutes into the fourth to get the Golden Knights within two. Isabel Herbst added a goal to her statline at the 4:06 mark, picking up a pass from Amanda Rice that landed near her to extend the Villanova lead 9-6. Jade Strickland capitalized on a powerplay opportunity to stay within reach, but Villanova quickly regained distance. Rice scored a goal of her own with a player-up advantage before Stella Byles closed the book with nearly a minute and half of action left.

Gannon's leader scorer was Popescu, netting three goals. The Wildcats forced Golden Knight keeper Sydney Klakeg into seven saves.

Villanova hits the road to Poughkeepsie, NY next weekend for the Marist Invitational on Feb. 26. It will play Siena at 8 a.m. followed by a rematch with Salem at 1 p.m.