BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— Montreat College's women's soccer team hosted the Reinhardt University Eagles on Saturday afternoon in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) match that included a two-hour delay due to lightning. Reinhardt outlasted the Cavs 2-1 in the Homecoming & Family Weekend contest. The competition coincided with the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on the Black Mountain and Montreat areas. Montreat fell to 3-5-0 overall and 2-3-0 in conference play following the defeat. Reinhardt improved to 3-3-2 overall and 3-1-2 in AAC action.
 
The first half began with Montreat and Reinhardt engaging in a heated launch. Montreat's Sam Aalbue tested Reinhardt's defense early with a shot saved by their goalkeeper, Reagan Horton. Despite Montreat's efforts, RU took an early lead with a goal by Haley Sturla in the eighth minute. Montreat responded with increased pressure, indicated by consecutive corner kicks from Natalie Hall, but was unable to convert the opportunities into goals. Reinhardt extended its lead in the 24^th minute with another goal from Sturla. Montreat's defense, led by goalkeeper Anna Weissenfluh, made multiple saves to keep the deficit at two goals. The half concluded with Montreat trailing 2-0.
 
After two hours in a lightning delay, the second half saw a flip in tempo as the Cavaliers took the lightning in the air and electrified the second half. They took five shots in the first five minutes of the period. The Cavs held RU to just one shot in the frame while having 11 of their own. Montreat's offensive overload was unable to break through the Reinhardt defense until the 80^th minute. Rebeca Cruz Manon got on the scoresheet with a goal assisted by Hall, narrowing the Eagles' lead to 2-1. The tally marked the Cavaliers' first goal versus Reinhardt since Nov. 11, 2020. Despite Montreat's continued efforts to level the match, the game concluded with the home team trailing at the final horn, 2-1.
 
Cruz Manon scored her fourth goal of the season and took four shots. Aalbue led Montreat with five shots, four of them on goal. Hall contributed with an assist and attempted one shot. Additionally, Katie Burton and Kara Gilsdorf had a shot, with Gilsdorf's landing on frame. In goal, Weissenfluh made three saves while facing five shots.
 
Montreat had more shots (12-11) and shots on target (6-5) than the Eagles in the loss. Both teams were awarded four corner kicks. Reinhardt was called for 12 fouls while the Cavaliers were whistled for six infractions during the 90 minutes. Montreat was not called offside once, but RU was flagged nine times for the statistic.
 
"I think in the second half, we stopped thinking so much and we just battled physically," said head coach Kristin Eggert.
 
The Cavaliers wore green armbands today to symbolize new life on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
 
"We wanted to honor what our community has walked through in the past year, which is really heartbreaking and tragic," Eggert noted. "I think that we serve a God who enables us to still hold the tension of grieving and being able to grieve with hope. The green was to symbolize the places of new life we have seen and new relationships where we bonded."
 
In its next game, Montreat will host Columbia College on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The match will take place at Pulliam Stadium in Black Mountain, N.C., as the team looks to defend its home turf.