GAINESVILLE, Ga.— Nearly 10 months to the day since its last official competition, the Montreat women's lacrosse team took to the road for its season opener, a non-conference matchup against the Brenau University Golden Tigers. The Cavaliers burst out of the gates in Gainesville, Ga. and used that momentum to record a single-game program record 27 goals in a 27-5 season-opening victory.
 
It didn't take long for the Cavaliers to strike. Up a player not even 90 seconds into the match, midfielder Aleea Bone found a pocket of space and rifled home a shot off Dovie Yates' feed to give the Cavaliers their first goal of the 2022 season. Moment later, Arizona State transfer Kate Gauntlett tallied her first goal of the campaign to put the Cavs ahead 2-0 after just 2:45.
 
Montreat scored the first seven goals of the match, three of which came on free position attempts. Gauntlett registered two of those free position strikes, while Bone added the other. Emily Madden and Mina Hicks joined in on the scoring frenzy as the Cavs held a 7-0 lead less than 10 minutes into their opener.
 
Brenau got onto the scoresheet at the 4:43 mark of the first quarter, scoring from a free position attempt after a Montreat foul. The Cavaliers responded quickly, though, pushing the lead out to 8-1 less than 90 seconds later on Hannah Jarboe's first tally of the season. Both teams added two more goals before the opening frame ended, with Hicks and Jarboe each adding their second goals of the match to aid the Cavaliers along to a 10-3 advantage.
 
The hosts started in the scoring in the second quarter, picking up their fourth tally of the match after 58 seconds of play. But, like a few instances in the previous frame, the Cavaliers were more than prepared to answer. It only took 22 seconds for Hicks to respond and put Montreat up 11-4. Brenau managed to find the back of the net again at the 13:05 mark, but the Cavs' offense just kept on coming.
 
Like they did on an extended run in the first quarter, the Cavaliers rattled off eight consecutive goals over the first half's final 12:35. Gauntlett added a tally off a Bone assist to start the run, while Yates added her first goal alongside two Madden scores. Already leading 15-5, Jarboe scored three of the final four Cavalier goals, with the other coming from Knight on a setup from Gauntlett. Entering halftime, the Cavs were comfortably in front, 19-5.
 
Montreat controlled nearly all facets of the first half, placing 21 of their 22 shots on frame while depositing 19 of those strikes into the net. The Cavaliers also converted on three of their four free position shots. Brenau directed eight of its 12 total shots on target and went 2-for-5 on free position shots.
 
Jarboe, who registered a single-game career high for goals scored in just 30 minutes of action, led both sides with five goals. Meanwhile, Gauntlett sat on four goals and four assists at the break. The duo of Hicks and Madden each tallied a hat trick, while Carlie Henning registered three saves.

"Our defense played really well—[Carlie] Henning just stood on her head in goal," said head coach Tom Flynn. "We're happy with the weapons that we have on offense and all across the team."
 
Bone kicked off the third quarter with her third goal overall and Montreat's fourth free position goal of the night. Then nearly ninety seconds later, it was Jarboe's sixth tally and Montreat's second with a player up that vaulted the Cavalier edge to 21-5 just 2:44 into the half. Gauntlett contributed two more goals and Bone tacked on another, extending the Montreat run to 14-0 since the 12:35 mark of the second quarter.
 
Knight become the sixth Cavalier to score at least two goals in the season opener, tallying her second strike of the match in open play 5:30 into the final quarter of regulation. Then, with a little over five minutes remaining in the match, Yates brought that total to seven Cavaliers with two or more goals. McKinley Edmondson joined in on the scoring fun with her fourth-career goal at Montreat with under a minute to go. The Cavaliers scored the final 16 goals of the match to record a 27-5 season-opening victory.
 
"We'll play Brenau later in the season again, and they're a very well-coached team, so we'll need to prepare hard for that," Flynn added.
 
Montreat held a significant edge over Brenau in shots (30-15), shots on goal (29-10) and successful clearances (15-3) in the win. Gauntlett and Jarboe led all scorers on the night with six goals each. Gauntlett also paced Montreat with six assists in her Cavalier debut. 

"I'm just really happy to be here," Gauntlett said. "I love the school, I love the team and it's just such a blessing that [Montreat] has been so good to me."

Bone registered four goals on the night, while Madden and Hicks each recorded a hat trick. Defensively, Henning recorded five saves while holding Brenau to just five goals scored.
 
The Montreat women's lacrosse team's next contest is also its 2022 home opener. That match against Lees-McRae College is scheduled to commence at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.