BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat men's lacrosse team faced a tough test at Pulliam Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Cavaliers hosted the No. 3-ranked Eagles of Reinhardt University. Despite the effort on the field by the home side, Reinhardt took a 24-2 contest as the Cavs dropped to 1-7 overall and 1-3 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play.
Reinhardt (11-1, 6-0 AAC) controlled the matchup from the start, scoring just 60 seconds into the opening quarter and adding another quick trio of tallies to lead 4-0 six minutes into the game. The Eagles capped off the period with four more scores to go up 8-0 after 15 minutes.
In the second, RU put five shots into the back of the Cavaliers' net as the visitors built their advantage out to 13 at the break. With the 13-0 scoreline, several statistical categories heavily favored the defending national champions. The Eagles dominated possession, which resulted in a 32-11 edge in shot attempts, a 20-1 lead in shots on frame, a 12-3 advantage in faceoffs and 13 successful clears to Montreat's six.
Ben Stephenson registered the Cavs' lone shot on target with 1:26 left in the half, while
Jay Chance made seven first-half stops in net.
The visitors notched their 14
th goal of the afternoon before
Brayden Hittle scored midway through the third frame with an unassisted tally. After Reinhardt responded, Hittle then took a feed from
Grayson Scott and went behind the back for his second goal of the game and sixth of the season.
The Eagles answered again, recording three goals in a span of 60 seconds to lead 18-2 through three quarters. RU went on to put six attempts in the net in the fourth to claim the 22-goal triumph. Unsurprisingly, the Cavaliers trailed in total shots (60-24), shots on goal (40-7), turnovers by opponents (30-21), clears (29-12), ground balls (62-35) and faceoff wins (22-7).
Chance made 16 saves for the Cavs over his 60 minutes in goal.
Men's lacrosse battles another ranked opponent in its next competition, a matchup with No. 4 University of the Cumberlands, in Kentucky on Wednesday. The initial faceoff in Williamsburg, Ky. is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
