BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat College women's lacrosse team fell 24-5 to (RV) Warner University on Friday evening at Pulliam Stadium. The Royals erupted for 10 first-quarter goals and maintained control throughout the contest to secure the victory. With the result, Montreat moved to 3-2 on the season, while the visitors improved to 3-1 overall.
Warner set the tone early, striking just 37 seconds into the matchup to claim the initial advantage. Montreat answered at the 12:40 mark when
Grace Wiegand found the back of the net to briefly even the score. The Royals quickly regained momentum, however, piecing together a decisive 9-0 scoring run to take command. Wiegand added her second goal of the quarter on a free-position attempt with 2:49 remaining, but the away side closed the frame with a 10-2 lead.
The second quarter proved equally challenging for the Cavaliers, as the visitors added six more goals to extend their cushion. Warner capitalized on a player-up opportunity early in the period and continued to convert on its offensive chances.
Anastasia Rust collected a ground ball to momentarily shift possession, yet turnovers and clearing struggles limited Montreat's ability to generate sustained attacks. The Royals carried a 16-2 advantage into halftime.
Montreat showed renewed energy to open the third quarter, with Wiegand securing the draw control to begin the frame. Despite the promising start, Warner capitalized on a player-down situation at the 13:03 mark to stretch the lead to 17-2. Wiegand responded later in the period with her 37th goal of the season, but the Royals preserved their edge and entered the final frame ahead 19-3.
Ruthann Stout provided a spark in the fourth, scoring just 29 seconds in off an assist from
Ailani Soto. She followed with another goal on a player-up opportunity, finishing a feed from
Anna White to account for Montreat's fifth tally of the evening. However, the Royals answered with a late scoring surge to close out the contest and secure a 24-5 decision.
"We handled a lot of adversity this game, so with our team being young, this is a learning experience for us," said Head Coach
Kayla Bone. "The game showed us the things we need to work on, but we're proud of how our captains led our team."
Overall, the visitors held the advantages in shots (45-10), turnovers (29-18), successful clears (11-8), ground balls (30-14) and draw controls (19-10). Montreat owned the edge in saves for the game (11-2).
Wiegand added three goals on six shots, with four of those attempts on target. Stout scored twice, while Soto and White each provided an assist for the evening. In goal, Rust made 11 saves despite facing 45 shots.
In its next game, Montreat will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to face Guilford College. The matchup is set for Wednesday, March 11 at 5 p.m.
