No. 23 Trojans Advance To Championship Match With 19-15 Victory Over Crusaders Of Belmont Abbey

Team huddle during the semifinal match against Belmont Abbey. (Photo by James Benson)
Team huddle during the semifinal match against Belmont Abbey. (Photo by James Benson)

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The No. 23 Mount Olive Trojans advance to the Championship game with their 19-15 defeat the Crusaders of Belmont Abbey College in the semifinal match of the Conference Carolinas women's lacrosse championship tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex in Mount Olive, N.C.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 23 Mount Olive 19 - Belmont Abbey 15
Records: No. 24 Mount Olive (14-5), Belmont Abbey (11-8)
Location: Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex  |  Mount Olive, N.C.

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST HALF

  • UMO started the match off on fire as they took a three-goal lead in the opening nine minutes with a hat trick from the Freshman of the Year, Meaghan Michaud.
  • Jackie Kaderabek added a fourth goal at the 18:49 mark to give the Trojans a 4-0 cushion.
  • The Crusaders cut the Trojan lead to two-goal following back-to-back goals by Belmont Abbey at 18:31 and 14:47.
  • Mount Olive responded with a pair of goals from Skylar Grady and Tiffany Lee to reopen a four-goal lead with the score sitting at 6-2 with 12:52 remaining in the first half.
  • Belmont Abbey added a goal to make the score 6-3, but Grady answered with a goal to take the 7-3 lead with 10 to play.
  • A three-goal run by the Crusaders pulled the No. 3 seeded Belmont Abbey within a goal, 7-6.
  • A goal by Skye Bradley halted the BAC rally and started one for UMO as the Trojans closed out the first half with a 4-0 run to lead 11-6 at the halftime horn. Bradley, Grady, Kaderabek, and Lee each tallied one of the four goals.

SECOND HALF

  • The second half was a back-and-forth battle between the two squads as neither wanted to back down and miss their chance for a championship run.
  • Lee got the scoring started with her third goal of the match to open up a six-goal buffer for the Trojans who led 12-6.
  • BAC recorded a pair of goals closing the gap to four before UMO answered with three consecutive goals, one from Kaderabek and two from Jordan Shughrue, as the Trojans took a 15-8 lead.
  • The Crusaders countered with a 5-0 run over three and a half minutes to cut the Trojans lead to two goals, 15-13, with 11:43 remaining in regulation.
  • Shughrue added her third goal of the game to stop the Belmont Abbey run and began a four-goal run for the Trojans who reclaimed a six-goal advantage, 19-13.
  • Shughrue collected two goals in the 4-0 run while Kaderabek and Keely Trail tallied the other two.
  • Belmont Abbey tried to rally back scoring two goals in the remaining eight minutes, but they ran out of time as Mount Olive got some retribution from last year when the Crusaders ousted the Trojans in the same match.

KEY STATS

COACHES COMMENTS

"I am very proud of the way the team played today," said head coach Grant Kelam.  "Belmont Abbey is well coached and always brings a little extra against us and we know we have to match that energy, especially early on.  I feel we were able to do that today and absorb their punches and bursts of energy throughout the game.  We showed maturity and the ability to stay calm and put the game to bed.  They earned this one!"

UP NEXT
Mount Olive returns to action on Saturday, April 27, when they will face the No. 1 seeded Saints of Limestone College the 2019 Conference Carolinas Women's Lacrosse Championship match. The match will begin at 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted on the Trojan Sports Network.