Trojans Pull Away From Erskine 20-8 In Women's Lacrosse Conference Opener

Trojans Pull Away From Erskine 20-8 In Women's Lacrosse Conference Opener

Riann Daziel and Katie McGovern each tied their own school record with five goals apiece as University of Mount Olive remained unbeaten with a 20-8 in Conference Carolinas women's lacrosse Saturday at Amon Field. Goalkeeper Hannah Knight also set a school record with 13 saves to help the Trojans win their conference opener.

Mount Olive (3-0 overall, 1-0 Conference Carolinas) trailed early before Daziel scored a pair of goals to put the Trojans ahead to stay 3-2 with 21:53 left in the first half. The lead was still one when McGovern converted a pair of free position goals 38 seconds apart to trigger a 5-0 run and extended the Trojans' lead to 9-3 with 7:38 remaining. Knight recorded saves on three shots in a span of two minutes immediately after McGovern's two-goal spurt.

Erskine (2-1, 0-1) ended an eight-minute scoreless drought as Kelly Dalziel scored her second goal of the half. But that would be the Flying Fleet's final goal of the half as Daziel scored two more goals for Mount Olive and McGovern added another goal with 34 seconds left to give the Trojans a 12-4 advantage at halftime.

Daziel, who scored five goals in a match three times last year, reached the five-goal mark in the first half Saturday. She and McGovern share the school record with Heather Cockburn and Alex Crawford.

The margin never fell below seven goals in the second half and Mount Olive built its first double-digit lead at 16-6 on Alysha Kulka's goal with 16:29 remaining. The Trojans reached the 20-goal mark on McGovern's fifth goal with 8:46 left. McGovern has scored five goals in two of her first three games as a Trojan since transferring from Herkimer CC (N.Y.).

Mount Olive returns to action next Saturday as the Trojans travel to Gaffney, S.C., to take on nationally third-ranked Limestone in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Game time is 1 p.m.

(Note: game statistics are unofficial. Official stats forthcoming.)