ATHENS, Tenn. — The Montreat College women's lacrosse team wrapped up its regular season with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup against the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs, a squad receiving votes in the NAIA Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Top 10 Poll, on Wednesday afternoon. The Cavaliers fell to the Bulldogs by a final score of 24-4. As a result of the contest, the Cavs finished their regular season campaign with a 4-8 (1-5 AAC) record, while TWU improved to 13-4 (4-2 AAC).
Scoring came fast for the hosts, putting one in the net just 34 seconds into the first frame. From there, Tennessee Wesleyan continued to mount momentum through scoring. Montreat was able to strike twice in the first, as Grace Wiegand capitalized on a player-up opportunity to get the Cavaliers on the board. Wiegand scored again with the help of an assist from Marley Smith, but the first quarter of play still closed with the Bulldogs holding an 8-2 lead.
The Cavs faced obstacles in the second period as TWU scored multiple goals, increasing its lead. Despite a strong defensive play by Anastasia Rust, who made a save and recovered the ball at the 9:49 mark, Montreat was unable to capitalize on possession, as subsequent turnovers hindered its offensive efforts. Tennessee Wesleyan took advantage of these opportunities, scoring six times in the quarter, resulting in a 14-2 lead entering the intermission.
Challenges continued to persist for the visitors after the halftime break. The Cavaliers were able to get a couple of shots on goal but couldn't connect with the back of the net. The Bulldogs' defense held strong again, keeping the Cavs off the board while the offense extended the advantage. Heading into the final quarter of play, the home side maintained a 20-2 edge.
In the closing minutes of the fourth, Montreat continued to show effort offensively. Smith located the back of the net for her first score of the day, and Wiegand capitalized on a ground ball pickup, scoring with just 50 seconds left on the clock. The tallies snapped a streak of 18 consecutive TWU goals. However, the game ended with a final score of 24-4 in favor of Tennessee Wesleyan.
On the day, the Bulldogs led both teams in shots (39-16), turnovers (22-7), ground balls (18-6) and draw controls (17-11). Montreat held the edge in saves (8-5) and scored the only successful free position shot of the day.
Wiegand led the visitors with three goals and an assist, and she placed five of her nine shots on target. Smith contributed to the offense with one goal and one helper, while landing two of her three tries on frame. Goalkeeper Rust made eight saves while facing 39 shots in net.
The Montreat College women's lacrosse team aims to be one of the six teams that qualify for next week's AAC Tournament. The postseason bracket is slated to be announced later this week.
