MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The 15^th-ranked University of Mount Olive men's lacrosse team defeated the Crusaders of North Greenville University in Conference Carolinas action Saturday afternoon at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex in Mount Olive, N.C.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 15 Mount Olive 12, North Greenville 4
Records: Mount Olive (7-1, 3-0 CC), North Greenville (2-7, 02 CC)
Location: Ray McDonald Sports Complex, Mount Olive, N.C

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST QUARTER

• Mount Olive won the opening faceoff as Tavian Cooley grabbed the groundball and got the game started for the Trojans, however, a quick turnover gave the ball to North Greenville.
• The Crusaders recorded the first shot but it went high.
• Both squads exchanged possession for the first five minutes until UMO was able to find the back of the goal.
• Austin Whitlow found Nathan Bradley with 10:10 on the clock for the first score of the game and Mount Olive took the lead.
• Four minutes ticked off the clock before Tim Collins added the second goal for UMO.
• Connor Watson was able to add one final insurance score for Mount Olive with just under a minute to play to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead heading into the second.

SECOND QUARTER

• Mount Olive scored first in the second quarter as Brody Sullivan got into the scorebook with 12:45 remaining.
• North Greenville was able to stop the UMO scoring run with their first goal at the 8:18 mark and drew the deficit to 4-1.
• A bit scoring frenzy started for the remainder of the quarter as NGU scored at the 3:11 mark followed by response goals from the Trojans at the 2:39 (Sullivan) and 2:08 (Watson) marks.
• Neither team scored in the final two minutes of play and Mount Olive took a 6-2 lead into halftime.

THIRD QUARTER

• UMO had to wait a while to score in the third quarter, but Gunner Parson got the Trojans going with his goal at the 9:21 mark.
• Two North Greenville penalties gave Mount Olive a man-up opportunity with 8:25 on the clock and the Trojans did not squander the chance as Thatcher Clark scored 21 seconds into the penalty.
• The Crusaders responded with a goal 1:04 later and brought the score to 8-3 in favor of UMO.
• Mount Olive rounded out the quarter with two more scores and went into the final frame up by seven.

FOURTH QUARTER

• In the fourth, Mount Olive sandwiched two scores between NGU's fourth goal and shut down the Crusaders from having any chance of a comeback with good clock management in the final quarter.

KEY STATS

• Thatcher Clark and Connor Watson tied for the team lead in goals with three.
• Jacob Williams led the defense with two caused turnovers and also picked up a groundball.
• Between the posts, Andrew Avarello (W: 6-1) picked up the win, making 15 saves on 19 shots.

UP NEXT
Mount Olive will return to action March, 23 when the Trojans will host Wingate University at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex in Mount Olive, N.C. The first face-off is set for 1 p.m.