No. 11 University of Mount Olive took the lead from the opening faceoff and never looked back as the Trojans defeated No. 12 Belmont Abbey College in a clash of men's lacrosse nationally ranked teams Saturday afternoon in Mount Olive, N.C. at Amon Field. Brett Kingston led Mount Olive with three goals.
Mount Olive (9-2 Overall, 3-0 Conference Carolinas) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Tyler Feniello won the opening face-off and charged down the field and struck for goal. The Belmont Abbey (8-2, 2-1) keeper was unable to stop the shot from going in and Mount Olive led 1-0.
Kingston added a second goal with 13:54 off a pass from Nico Shewey. Belmont Abbey bounced back with under five minutes left in the first quarter. After a Trojan penalty, Connor Sellars gave the Crusaders a goal with 4:01. Callum Tanner tied up the game 39 seconds later as the equalizer goal went in.
The Trojans regained the lead with 2:38 remaining in the first as Kingston picked up his second goal. Heading into the second quarter the next four goals as Mount Olive still held on to a one goal lead 5-4 following a Crusaders goal with 3:52 remaining.
Thatcher Clark and Eddie Hendrickson pushed Mount Olive up 7-4 after back-to-back goals in the final three minutes of the quarter. Belmont Abbey took the final goal of the half as Brendan McGovern put the Crusaders down by two.
The third quarter saw only one goal as Belmont Abbey found the back of the net at the 9:57 mark and trailed 7-6.
Stephen Bowlan was able to beat the shot clock to open up the final quarter as he struck for goal with 12:20. The Crusaders were within one goal after Adam Wiedemann found a hole for the Belmont Abbey goal with under seven and a half to play. One goal was as close as the Crusaders could get as the Trojans ended the quarter on a four goal run and took the win at Amon Field
Clark and Feniello followed behind goal leader Kingston with two goals apiece. Ryan Morris led the defense with five groundballs. Keeper Ross Bowman had 10 saves in goal for the Trojans as he faced 30 shots, 17 on goal and allowed seven goals.
Mount Olive will have a week off as the Trojans will await Lees-McRae College next Saturday at Amon Field. The first face off is set for 1 p.m.