WINGATE, N.C. (Feb. 28) – Facing their third nationally-ranked opponent of the season, the Trojans were unable to halt a high-scoring first-half performance by No. 7 ranked Wingate in a 23-6 loss on Wednesday evening in non-conference action.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's lacrosse program drops to 2-3 overall while playing four schools from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) this year. The Bulldogs hold a 3-2 edge in the series dating back to 2016 while claiming the previous three games. Meanwhile, Wingate improves to 3-1 this season with a pair of victories against top-20 ranked opponents.
In the first quarter, the Bulldogs raced ahead with seven unanswered goals in the opening 10 minutes of the game before senior
Aidan Lalonde halted the run with his ninth goal of the season at the 4:09 mark. Wingate scored one final time in the quarter with 23 seconds to go to hold an 8-1 lead. In the second, the Bulldogs tallied nine straight goals on 20 shot attempts while limiting UMO to just one opportunity over the 15-minute quarter, 17-1.
In the second half, Wingate produced the back-to-back goals before Lalonde and fifth-year
Chaz Goodman scored on consecutive man-up opportunities in under 45 seconds, 19-3. After another Bulldog goal, sophomore
Benjamin Vanderkley got onto the scoresheet with his fifth goal of the year at the 7:27 mark of the third. The Trojans registered two more goals in the final four minutes of the quarter with Goodman and graduate student
Chance Urban each finding the net, 21-6. Wingate scored two more times to secure a 23-6 win on Wednesday.
Sophomore
Kurtis Lensing reached double-digit saves with 15 while facing 48 shots in the first half. Sophomore
Jack Isaacs played the final 30 minutes of the contest and collected six stops.
The Trojans return to play on Saturday, March 9, when they host Southern New Hampshire in non-conference play at noon.
