No. 15 Men's Lacrosse Opens Season With Victory Over Catawba

No. 15 Men's Lacrosse Opens Season With Victory Over Catawba

SALISBURY, N.C. – The 15th-ranked University of Mount Olive men's lacrosse team defeated the Indians of Catawba College 10-7 to open the 2019 season on the road in Salisbury, N.C.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 10, Catawba 7
Records: Mount Olive (1-0), Catawba (0-2)
Location: Salisbury, N.C.

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST QUARTER

  • Mount Olive found themselves behind first as Catawba scored with 13:18 on the clock and then quickly added a second goal with 12:24 remaining in the opening quarter.
  • Gunner Parson picked up his own rebound and found the back of the net to score UMO's first goal of the season with 9:05 left.
  • Catawba scored their next goal 1:06 later with some help of a UMO slashing penalty and went up 3-1.
  • The Indians added two more goals before Thatcher Clark stopped the run with 1:31 remaining and made the deficit 5-2 heading into the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Clark picked up his second goal off the Parson assist at the 13:23 mark and UMO drew to within on nearly 1:30 later when Braydon Hickey found the back of the net.
  • The Indians had the final goal of the quarter with 4:38 left before halftime as CC went up 6-4.

THIRD QUARTER

  • The third quarter saw Mount Olive play more solid offensively outscoring Catawba 3-1 as Austin Whitlow got the scoring started off with 13:45 on the clock with an unassisted goal.
  • Catawba answered, but the Trojans were ready with goals from Nathan Bradley and Austin Whitlow once more to tie the game at seven heading into the final quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Clark continued his run from the third with another goal 41 seconds into the fourth after a Catawba turnover and UMO led for the first time all game.
  • Following a missed shot attempt Parson found himself on the front end of his second goal of the season giving the Trojans a two-goal cushion with 10:21 left to play.
  • Mount Olive did not waste a lot of time adding one more insurance goal as Clark chipped in his third score of the day at the 7:53 mark and UMO led 10-7.
  • Catawba managed five shots during the remainder of regulation but none found the back of the net and the Trojans took home their first win of the season.

KEY STATS

  • Clark and Whitlow both led the Trojans with three goals each and Parson added in two.
  • Between the posts, Andrew Avarello  (W: 1-0) took the win, making 14 saves on 21 shots.

NOTABLES

  • Mount Olive was 23-for-24 on clear attempts on the day. 

UP NEXT
Mount Olive will return to action February, 20 when the Trojans will host the Cobras of Coker College. The first face-off is set for 3 p.m.