WILLIAMSBURG, Ky.— The Montreat women's lacrosse team took on an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) newcomer in the University of the Cumberlands Patriots Wednesday afternoon in Williamsburg, Ky. Facing the No. 5-ranked team in the NAIA, the shorthanded Cavaliers couldn't keep pace with the Pats' offense as they ultimately dropped a 30-4 contest. With the defeat, the Cavs slid to 4-4 (2-2 AAC) on the year.
 
Cumberlands (9-1, 3-0 AAC) set the tone for Wednesday's matchup from the opening draw control. By winning eight of the first nine draw controls, the Patriots facilitated play in the initial quarter. UC capitalized on its extended spell of possession, scoring the first seven goals of the contest, including one just 20 seconds into the game.
 
Montreat found its way onto the scoresheet after a brief spell of possession midway through the period. Dovie Yates found Aleea Bone near the front of the net, and the graduate student from Temple, Ga. slotted a shot past the Cumberlands goalkeeper. With the tally, the Cavs found themselves trailing by six goals (7-1) with 8:08 left in the frame.
 
The Patriots got the goal back just 18 seconds later, but Yates pulled the Cavaliers within six once again as she finished off a feed from Kate Gauntlett. Montreat couldn't overcome the 6-goal gap, however, and the hosts registered the final four goals of the quarter to lead 12-2 after 15 minutes of action.
 
Cumberlands ran its unanswered goals streak to eight by expanding its lead out to 16-2 with only 3:06 remaining in the first half. While Gauntlett took a pass from Bone and scored her first goal of the day late in the second quarter, the visitors still found themselves down 16-3 heading into halftime.
 
At the intermission, the Patriots held advantages in shots (29-11), shots on goal (18-8) and draw controls (18-3). Meanwhile, Montreat committed three fewer turnovers (7-4) than its counterpart in the initial half.
 
The hosts picked up right where they left off as play resumed. With a 12-1 shots on goal advantage in the third quarter, Cumberlands converted eight of those shots on target into goals. UC scored all eight goals in the frame, and it possessed a 24-3 lead over Montreat with just 15 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Following another pair of Patriot goals to kick off the fourth frame, Yates notched her second tally of the afternoon, making the score 26-4 in the process; however, Cumberlands wasn't finished. The Patriots continued to push forward, and they found the back of the net four more times en route to a 30-4 final.
 
UC ended the day with edges in shots (49-13), shots on goal (36-10), draw controls (32-5) and free-position tallies (5-0). Yates paced the Cavs with two goals, while Gauntlett accrued a team-high two assists. Defensively, Kierra Stephens made six saves in net.
 
The Montreat women's lacrosse team visits another AAC newcomer, the Georgetown College Tigers, on April 1. Opening draw control is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. in Georgetown, Ky.