Daniel Shields and Jake Duarte led a balanced Mount Olive attack, but nationally third-ranked Limestone scored four consecutive goals in the fourth period to pull away for a 14-9 Conference Carolinas decision Wednesday afternoon at Amon Field. The loss ended the Trojans' four-game winning streak and dropped them one game behind the Saints and Pfeiffer in the conference standings.

Mount Olive (6-4 overall, 2-1 Conference Carolinas) never led in its first contest against a nationally-ranked opponent. However, a balanced attack and a willingness to match the physical nature Limestone came to the field with kept the teams nose to nose for more than three periods. Coming into the contest, the Saints' lone loss was to top-ranked LeMoyne.

The more experiences Saints (9-1, 3-0) kept pressure on the Trojan defense, bombarding goalie Rocky Bowman with 36 shots attempts (26 on goal). Limestone aided its cause by dominating face-off opportunities 19-8, and groundball chances 35-22.

Trailing 2-0 five minutes into the contest, the Trojans were forced to fight to stay in the game. With a man down, Spencer Gelinas brought the Trojans to life with his team's first marker with help from a Cameron Walsh assist. With 1:23 left in the first, Jake Duarte got an assist from Daniel Shields to keep the Trojans within a goal, 3-2, after one.

After attempts from Blake Bennett and Jake Hancock sailed wide, Daniel Shields took advantage of a Saint turnover to score his first goal of the match and 21st of the season at the 4:37 mark to keep Mount Olive within one, but as halftime grew closer, Limestone's shots started finding their mark.

Riley Loewen scored two of his four goals in the final 2:35 to stretch the lead to 7-4 before Hancock found the back of the net to make it 7-5 at intermission. Loewen finished with four of his team's goals. He currently leads the conference with 29.

As it had in the first half, Limestone raced out to a quick start when the teams returned to the field. Loewen got his third goal just 23 seconds into the third period. The Trojans answered with an unassisted goal from Nick Sanderson three minutes later. Mount Olive's opportunities, however, were becoming fewer.

Duarte's man-up goal early in the fourth cut the deficit to 10-7 before Limestone put the match away with four goals in less than five minutes.

Seven Trojans in all accounted for the team's nine goals. Matt Shields added two assists, while Daniel Shields and Walsh had one apiece. Bowman led the Trojans with three ground balls and 12 saves. Mount Olive helped its own cause by forcing the Saints into 19 turnovers.

The Trojans return to play Saturday when Mount Olive travels to Vienna, W.Va. to meet Ohio Valley beginning at 1 p.m.