BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— Kate Gauntlett registered her 100^th point of the season and the Montreat women's lacrosse team dominated the Warren Wilson College Owls at Pulliam Stadium Wednesday night as the Cavs cruised to a 19-5 triumph over the visitors. With the noteworthy victory, the team improved to 8-5 on the season.
 
Just 43 seconds into the competition, Gauntlett took the ball from the left side of the field, pumped a couple of times and slotted the ball behind the Owls' keeper to score her 71^st goal of the year and amass her 100^th point. Montreat quickly expanded its lead to 3-0 as Aleea Bone scored and Sydney Chivers notched her first goal of 2022 within 4:29.
 
Following a Warren Wilson goal, the Cavaliers went on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter. Gauntlett and Chivers both scored another two, completing their hat tricks, including the initial three-goal game of Chivers' career. Hannah Jarboe contributed with back-to-back goals and Bone netted her second of the competition, while Ashley Ruppard notched the first goal of her year to finish the run for the Cavs, who led 11-1 through 15 minutes of play. During the stretch late in the first quarter, Gauntlett and Mina Hicks each picked up a pair of helpers.
 
Hicks tallied her first score of the contest and Bone and Gauntlett followed to complete the scoring in the second frame. The teams both recorded three goals as Montreat slowed its offensive prowess after going up by more than 10 goals.
 
"You see that transition of the handoff from the seniors going out and then we have some new people like Mina Hicks, Hannah Jarboe and Kate Gauntlett… it's kind of the handoff from the people who built the program to the new people that are continuing to build it," said head coach Tom Flynn.
 
At the half, the Cavaliers held a 14-4 edge on the scoreboard and maintained leads in all relevant statistical categories. The Cavs outshot Warren Wilson 20-8, 18-6 on frame, while grabbing five more ground balls than the visitors (13-8). An efficient transition offense propelled Montreat to its large advantage as the squad cleared six of its seven attempts, a category in which the Owls went 2-for-10.
 
As the game wore on, the home team tried to get other athletes involved in the scoring. The Cavaliers outscored Warren Wilson 5-1 over the final two quarters, shutting the Owls out 3-0 in the third before scoring two of the three goals in the last period.
 
Gauntlett continued setting up teammates for success, registering another two assists in the third frame to end with a game-high four assists. The Dawsonville, Ga. native also tied Bone for the matchup's most goals with five after scoring in the fourth.
 
Willow Thompson benefitted from one of Gauntlett's feeds as the senior registered her first goal of the year in the final period. Jarboe and Bone each added fourth-quarter tallies, and Gauntlett capped the night with her ninth point with 2:05 remaining.
 
Montreat attempted 23 more shots than its opposition (34-11) and scooped up 11 more ground balls than the visitors (30-19). The Cavaliers forced 27 Warren Wilson turnovers, losing 21 possessions themselves. The home team also held a 16-10 advantage in draw controls. Seven different players collected a goal for the Cavaliers, who coasted to their 14-goal triumph thanks to hat tricks from four athletes.
 
"Overall, I'm really happy and everyone had a lot of fun, which is what we want to do on Senior Night," Flynn concluded.
 
Women's lacrosse returns to conference action with a contest at Point University on Saturday. Game time in West Point, Ga. is currently scheduled for 3:00 p.m.