Hickory, NC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears on Wednesday afternoon in a 23-1 final score.
The Warriors totaled three shots with both Fianna Steves and Lexi Richardson having shots on goal. Steves found the back of the cage for the lone goal of the game for Southern Wesleyan. Lauryn Esposito picked up the assist. Steves went on to lead with two ground balls. Southern Wesleyan won 10 draw controls. Aleiza Manns picked up five and Steves had four. Mack Moreau picked up the remaining draw control. Caroline Lark started in goal and recorded six saves. Kelsee McKay played twenty-eight minutes in goal and had three saves.
Game Vitals
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 23, Southern Wesleyan 1
Records: Southern Wesleyan (0-2) Lenoir-Rhyen (1-0)
How It Happened
Southern Wesleyan started strong as Mack Moreau won the first draw control of the match, but Lenoir-Rhyne challenged right back with shots by Ellie Campbell and Kirra Olson. However, Caroline Lark saved each attack from meeting the back of the cage. The Bears pushed on as Campbell and Jolan Morey each scored. Lauryn Esposito took a shot, but it was blocked by the Bears to keep the Warriors off the board. Lenoir-Rhyne continued to distance themselves as Kaitlyn Cavanaugh and Alexa Burghardt each scored to lead 9-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Lenoir-Rhyne continued the intensity in the second quarter as they scored five consecutive goals. Fianna Steves won the sixth draw of the game to allow the Warriors to make a push. Lauryn Esposito got the ball over to Steves, who drove the ball into the cage to score the first goal of the match for Southern Wesleyan. The Bears led the game 15-1 at halftime.
The Bears took the first goal of the third quarter as Alexa Burghardt scored. A foul in the eight meter put Lexi Richardson on the eight meter. Richardson took a shot on the goal, but Sally Friesen saved the attack from meeting the back of the cage. Another goal by Burghardt and a goal by Chloe Christensen allowed the Bears to take a seventeen goal lead.
Lenoir-Rhyne maintained the intensity as Olivia Newton scored off a pass from Anneleise Meyer. They continued to press as Madison Brugger and Jolan Morey each took shots, but Kelsee McKay saved the ball from meeting the cage. Aleiza Manns won the next few draws for the Warriors, but the Bears went on to win the game in a 23-1 final score.
What's Next
The Warriors will host their home opener on February 20 as they welcome the UVA Wise Cavaliers to Childs Field. They will then travel to Rome, GA on February 24 to take on the Shorter Hawks. Southern Wesleyan will welcome University of Charleston to Central, SC on February 26.
