BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat men's lacrosse team suffered defeat in its Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener on Tuesday when it dropped a 25-4 final against the NAIA's No. 4-ranked squad, the University of the Cumberlands Patriots. Following the loss at Pulliam Stadium, the Cavaliers' record fell to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the AAC.
 
Cumberlands (3-1, 2-1 AAC) notched all seven tallies in the initial frame of play, including the opening goal merely six seconds into the quarter; however, the Cavs finally broke through early in the second period.
 
Jay Chance registered his fifth goal of the 2024 campaign off a feed from Eli King, momentarily trimming the deficit to 7-1. Despite the swift goal, UC responded 24 seconds later, restoring its 7-goal edge (8-1). The Patriots ultimately poured in 12 of the first half's 13 tallies as they entered halftime on top, 12-1.
 
At the break, Cumberlands held advantages in most statistical categories, including shots (28-6), shots on goal (18-3) and caused turnovers (7-0). UC also committed significantly fewer turnovers (17-4), but the Cavs won the faceoff battle (8-6). Josh Espinosa made six saves in net through 30 minutes of play.
 
The Pats scored the initial three goals of the third quarter before a pair of Johnny Miles' tallies sandwiched another UC strike, bringing the matchup to 16-3 with 5:08 remaining in the frame. Even though the Cavaliers started to create additional offensive chances, Cumberlands rattled off another trio of goals to lead 19-3 with 15 minutes to go.
 
Chance's second goal of the day and sixth of the season answered a visitor tally just 3:58 into the final period, but the gap proved too much to overcome. The Patriots continued to push forward, collecting the last five scores in the matchup to claim a 25-4 win in Black Mountain, N.C.
 
When the final horn sounded, Cumberlands owned edges in shots (61-13), shots on goal (41-8), successful clears (21-12) and caused turnovers (18-2). Montreat finished the contest with more turnovers committed (34-11), but it did snag more faceoff wins than its counterpart (17-14).
 
Espinosa racked up 14 saves in goal, while Brandon Sandoval made two during his 15 minutes of action in the fourth quarter. Chance and Miles both scored twice, and Chance, Grayson Scott and King each handed out an assist.
 
After making an addition to the schedule, the Montreat men's lacrosse team now plays Tiffin University on Monday in its final non-conference contest of the season. Opening faceoff is slated for 4 p.m. in Black Mountain, N.C.