ST. LOUIS, Mo.— The Montreat College men's lacrosse team closed out its weekend trip to St. Louis in dominant fashion on Saturday, recording an 18-0 shutout over Midland University. The win marked the Cavaliers' third straight triumph and the first shutout in program history, highlighting a commanding performance on both ends of the field. With the victory, Montreat improved to 3-1 on the season, while Midland fell to 0-1.
Montreat quickly took control despite Midland winning the opening faceoff. The Cavs forced a turnover and applied steady offensive pressure, testing the Warriors' defense with multiple shot attempts. After several early chances sailed wide or high, Grayson Scott broke through at the 3:42 mark with the game's first goal. Defensively, Montreat set the tone from the start. Jay Chance made key saves in goal, while Nik Treadway caused a turnover to keep Midland off the scoreboard. The first quarter concluded with the Cavaliers leading 1–0.
The second quarter belonged entirely to Montreat, as the Cavaliers erupted for seven unanswered goals to build a commanding advantage. Gavin Mottram sparked the surge less than one minute in off an assist from Scott, followed by a quick goal from Aidan Simpson just 21 seconds later. Justin Holland added another strike, and D'Andrae McKenzie, assisted by Scott, pushed the lead to 5-0 by the midway point of the period. Montreat continued its offensive onslaught late in the frame, with Nickolas Hargett and Ethan Seamans each finding the back of the net, sending the Cavs into the halftime break with an 8-0 lead.
Montreat carried the momentum into the third quarter, continuing its dominant offensive display. Holland opened the scoring after 4:31 had passed, igniting a stretch of relentless attacks. He struck again with under five minutes remaining, assisted by Landon LaGro. Garrett Thomson and Scott added goals to extend the advantage further, and LaGro capped the quarter with a goal in the final seconds. As a result, the Cavaliers entered the final period with a commanding 13-0 lead.
The fourth quarter saw Montreat finish strong, beginning with a goal from Holland just after the 10:30 mark. That tally was immediately followed by a strike from Scott directly off winning the faceoff. A man-up opportunity allowed McKenzie to score at 8:45, assisted by
Holland, while two additional goals closed out the quarter. The Cavaliers secured an emphatic 18-0 victory to cap off the weekend sweep.
"We started the game out slow, but we were able to regroup and finish strong," said Head Coach Brian Holland. "Tremendous job by our defense all day and the offense coming on in the second half."
On the night, Montreat dominated the stat sheet, outshooting the Warriors by more than four-to-one (59-14) and recording five times as many shots on goal (30-6). The Cavaliers also committed 12 fewer turnovers (40-28) and held the advantage in successful clears (25-12), ground balls (51-32) and extra man tallies (1-0). Midland finished the contest with more faceoff wins (13-9) and saves (12-6).
Holland led the offensive effort with five goals and two assists, converting eight of his 12 shots on target. Scott added three goals and two assists, while McKenzie contributed two goals and one helper. Defensively, Chance recorded six saves on 14 shots faced, anchoring the team's first shutout in program history.
Montreat will return home next weekend to host No. 2 Madonna University on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Pulliam Stadium in Black Mountain, N.C. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
