WINGATE, N.C. (April 3) – In a matchup featuring a pair of top-25 programs, the No. 25 ranked Trojans suffered a narrow 13-12 loss at No. 16 Wingate on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference play.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive women's lacrosse team had its six-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-3 overall with a 4-1 mark on the road. It marked the eighth meeting between the sides with the series split at 4-4 all-time. Meanwhile, Wingate improves to 11-3 this season behind a 7-2 record at home.
The Bulldogs raced out to a 3-0 advantage in the first quarter before the Trojans rallied back with three consecutive goals. Senior
Logan Hibbard scored on a free-position shot at the 5:41 mark before sophomore
Hailey Morgan found the back of the cage just over a minute later, 3-2. In the closing seconds, Hibbard tallied her second goal to tie the game at 3-3 after the opening quarter. Wingate regained the lead early in the second quarter before junior
Teagan Dunnett rattled the back of the cage to knot the contest at 4-4 with 12:47 left. With Wingate back in front by a 5-4 margin with 12-plus minutes to go, Dunnett and freshman
Kayanna Bowden scored back-to-back goals to take a 6-5 edge. In the final six minutes, the Bulldogs produced three unanswered goals to build an 8-6 advantage at the break.
In the third quarter, Wingate stretched the lead to 9-6 in the opening minute before Hibbard completed her hat trick with a goal at the 12:50 mark. After a nine-plus minute scoreless drought, the Bulldogs totaled two goals to take an 11-7 lead before sophomore
Alexa Fitzgerald cut into the deficit off an assist by fifth-year
Bria Hamilton, 11-8. Mount Olive quickly closed the gap to 11-10 in the fourth following goals by junior
Lena DeFilippo and freshman
Caroline Clark. With 9:24 left in the contest, Wingate regained its two-goal lead with a free-position shot, but Hamilton responded with a goal with just over three minutes left. The Bulldogs scored their final goal with 1:46 left before Hibbard registered a goal just 29 seconds later, 13-12. Wingate claimed the final draw control to run out the final 1:17 of the contest.
Senior goalie
Jane Hobbs earned the start and played the opening 28-plus minutes of the contest. Junior
Anna James closed out the final 31:26 of the game. Defensively, Hamilton caused three turnovers and picked up two ground balls.
Mount Olive returns on Saturday, April 6, for Conference Carolinas action against North Greenville at 11 a.m.
