No. 25 Mount Olive cruises past SWU

CENTRAL, S.C. – After scoring 17 first-half goals in a conference road game, the No. 25 ranked University of Mount Olive women’s lacrosse team defeated Southern Wesleyan by a 23-3 margin on April 7.

With the win, the Trojans registered their eighth straight win to improve to 9-4 overall with a 6-0 record in league play. Mount Olive has won all six meetings against SWU dating back to 2018 and has tallied at least 20 goals in five of those contests. Meanwhile, the Warriors fell to 2-7 this season and hold a 1-5 mark in conference action.

Mount Olive was quick to business as they scored the initial eight goals of the contest. The opening goal was scored when graduate student Meagan Maxwell received a pass from sophomore Rileigh White, 1-0. Just 34 seconds later, senior Peyton Youngblood scored an unassisted goal, 2-0. Graduate student Ali Davis scored back-to-back goals in the span of just over a minute to increase the advantage to 4-0. On a man-up opportunity, White scored off a laser pass from junior Logan Hibbard, 5-0. Sophomore Lena DeFilippo followed closely behind with consecutive goals past the Warrior keeper, 7-0. Following a foul committed by SWU, graduate student Margot Coomes was rewarded with a scoring opportunity. Capitalizing on the free position, the Trojans were up 8-0. At the 3:34 mark, the Warriors saw their first goal of the contest, 8-1. Closing the first quarter, Maxwell netted her second of the game to extend the lead back to eight, 9-1.

In the second quarter, UMO defensively shut out the Warriors and did not allow a goal. Coomes was the first to net a goal in the quarter, 10-1. At the 11:49 mark, White collected her second goal of the game and initiated the running clock rule, 11-1. Scoring six straight goals, the Trojans extended the lead to 17-1 with goals two goals from Davis and single goals from Hibbard, sophomore Teagan Dunnett and freshmen Maddy Fratus and Hannah Legge, 17-1.

At the start of the second half, freshman Alex Goodale scored her first goal of the season, 18-1. At the 9:58 mark, Legge recorded her second of the game, 19-1. Breaking the 20-point mark, senior defensive player Camryn Youngblood scored her first goal of the season, 20-1. At the 3:44 mark, Southern Wesleyan netted its second goal of the game, 20-2. Closing the third quarter, DeFilippo completed her hat trick, 21-2.

In the last frame, the Warriors scored the first goal of the fourth quarter, 21-3. Closing the game, graduate student Emery Kennedy and Hamilton found the back of the cage, 23-3.

Davis finished the game with four goals, five draw controls, three caused turnovers and a ground ball. DeFilippo finished with a career-high three goals, while graduate student Alexis Stanley snagged five draw controls. Three Trojans also tallied four ground balls.

Mount Olive featured three goalkeepers between the pipes. Claire Hagen had a save in 30 minutes of play. Anna James collected two saves in 17 minutes of action and Jane Hobbs also collected two saves, not allowing any goals, in 12 minutes.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics