WALESKA, Ga.— The Montreat women's lacrosse team faced a stiff test Saturday afternoon as it traveled to Waleska, Ga. for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) showdown against the No. 3-ranked Reinhardt University Eagles. Playing shorthanded, the Cavaliers couldn't keep up with the high-powered hosts as they ultimately dropped a 24-5 decision that ended their 3-game winning streak. With the defeat, the Cavs also fell to 3-3 (2-1 AAC) on the year.
Sustained possession powered the Reinhardt offense in the early going and enabled the hosts to seize a sizable edge through just 15 minutes of play. The Eagles registered their first of nine opening-period goals 4:20 into the contest as the home team ended the initial quarter of action with a 9-0 lead on the scoreboard.
Reinhardt (5-3, 1-0 AAC) made it 11 consecutive goals to start the game with its tally 3:56 into the second quarter. The Cavaliers eventually ended the RU scoring run midway through the second as
Izzy Knight fed a pass to
Dovie Yates for her 15
th goal of the season; however, the Eagles added three more goals throughout the rest of the frame as they entered halftime with a 14-1 lead.
At the break, Reinhardt owned an advantage in shots (23-6), shots on goal (21-4), caused turnovers (11-3) and draw controls (11-7).
Kierra Stephens made seven saves in the opening half.
The Eagles notched the initial three tallies of the third quarter, but thanks to a
Kate Gauntlett assist,
Hannah Jarboe whipped a shot into the net for the visitors' second goal of the afternoon. Reinhardt did respond with less than 30 seconds remaining in the period, however, re-establishing a 16-goal lead (18-2) entering the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Gauntlett,
Aleea Bone and Knight all scored goals in the fourth frame, making it the Cavs' best offensive quarter of the afternoon. Despite Montreat's final push, the visitors had too large of a gap to overcome, and the hosts closed out the matchup with three consecutive goals that led to a 24-5 AAC victory.
When the contest concluded, Reinhardt held strong edges in shots (41-12), shots on goal (34-9), draw controls (22-11) and caused turnovers (16-6). Five different Cavs scored a goal on the day, while Knight paced Montreat with a pair of assists. Defensively, Stephens totaled 10 saves in net.
The Montreat women's lacrosse team returns to Pulliam Stadium for a non-conference matchup against Alliance University Monday afternoon. Opening draw control is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Black Mountain, N.C.
