MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 15) – In a performance plagued with 20 cards and 25 turnovers, the #17/24 Trojans suffered their first Conference Carolinas loss in nearly six years in a 16-9 loss versus Belmont Abbey on Saturday at Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive women's lacrosse program sees a historic 44-game winning streak in conference play come to an end and drop to 1-1 overall this season. The last time the Trojans dropped a regular season league contest was March 22, 2019, against former conference member Limestone. Meanwhile, Belmont Abbey improves to 1-1 this season and snaps a nine-game skid in the series against UMO.
The Trojans totaled 20 cards in the contest, including eight yellow cards and one red card. The Crusaders took advantage with eight extra-man goals to pull away in the final three quarters of play.
Redshirt sophomore
Katie Broom registered a hat-trick with four draw controls and one caused turnovers. Sophomore
Caroline Clark finished with three points behind two goals and one assist while adding three caused turnovers, two draw controls, and two ground balls. Senior
Rileigh White contributed two goals, one assist, two draw controls, and two ground balls.
In the first quarter, Belmont Abbey scored the opening goal at the 12:14 mark before the Trojans countered with back-to-back goals by Clark and freshman
Morghan Pollock, 2-1. The Crusaders just 35 seconds later tied the contest at 2-2 before Mount Olive countered by scoring three of the next four goals, as White, Clark, and junior
Maddy Fratus found the back of the cage, 5-3. Belmont Abbey netted a goal with 13 seconds remaining in the quarter to trail by a 5-4 margin. In the second, the sides traded the initial two goals, as UMO remained ahead 6-5 at the 11:23 mark. The tide shifted from that point as the Crusaders scored four straight goals to take a 9-6 lead into the break.
Belmont Abbey continued its offensive push in the third quarter with five more goals, including four while being up a player. The Trojans were held to one shot, forced into six turnovers, and issued seven cards in the quarter. The Crusaders added a pair of insurance goals in the fourth while White and Broom scored in the final three minutes in a 16-9 loss.
UMO featured three goalkeepers in the contest with senior
Anna James earning the start and collecting three saves in 22-plus minutes in the cage. Sophomore
Ruby Burandt played nearly 10 minutes with a pair of saves, while freshman
Lily Mahoney totaled a team-high six saves in the final 27 minutes of action. Defensively, sophomore
Simone McCraw recorded four caused turnovers and five ground balls in the loss.
Mount Olive returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 22 with a non-conference game against New Haven at 3 p.m.
