Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the Catawba Indians on Wednesday evening in a 17-4 final score.
The Warriors took 20 shots during the contest with 11 being on target. Rinna Beth Brooker led the team with five shots on goal while Ella McCowen followed with three. Brooker went on to have three of the four goals in the game. McCowen picked up the other goal. Both McCowen and Aleiza Manns had assists.
Southern Wesleyan won 13 of the draw controls. Fianna Steves won seven on her own. Of the 29 ground balls, Steves picked up five. Helen Posey, Rinna Beth Brooker, Hayley Billings and Ella McCowen each collected four ground balls. Abbey Kovalcik caused four of the 12 turnovers. Ava Lombardi started in cage and accumulated six saves.
Game Vitals
Final: Catawba 17, Southern Wesleyan 4
Records: Southern Wesleyan (1-5) Catawba (2-1)
How It Happened
Catawba went on the offensive early on as Kylie Harris scored back-to-back goals to put the Indians ahead by two. Fianna Steves attempted to cut into their lead, but her shot went wide of the cage. The Indians pressed on as Mary Sorvillo extended their lead to three off a free position attempt. In the final minute of the game, Southern Wesleyan's attacks paid off as Rinna Beth Brooker and Ella McCowen scored back-to-back goals.
The Warriors picked up where they left off in the second quarter as Rinna Beth Brooker sent a couple shots in to the cage, but her attacks went just wide. Catawba countered as Mary Sorvillo took the ball all the way to the cage to extend the Indians lead to 5-2. The Indians pressed on with goals by Skylar Mullin and Grace Virginia Deal. Southern Wesleyan cleared the ball down the field. Aleiza Manns flipped the ball over to Rinna Beth Brooker who sent the ball into the cage to keep the Warriors within four goals of the visitors. However, Catawba scored once more to lead 8-3 at halftime.
The Indians continued to pepper the cage with shots in the third quarter, but Ava Lombardi protected the cage from the attacks by Kylie Harris and Rylie Faircloth. A foul in the eight meter allowed Rinna Beth Brooker to take a free position attempt at the cage, but Elli Ferraro saved the attack from finding the back of the net. Ella McCowen and Aleiza Manns took back-to-back shots on the cage, but once again the Indians' goalkeeper would not let the attacks pay off. Skylar Mullin got the ball into the cage to give Catawba a 9-3 goal lead.
Catawba pressed on early in the final quarter of the game as a foul allowed Kylie Harris to score off another free position shot. The Warriors stayed within ten goals of the Indians as Rinna Beth Brooker scored her third goal of the game. Southern Wesleyan continued to challenge with shots on the cage by Aleiza Manns and Brooker, but the Catawba goalkeeper denied each attack. The Indians went on to win the game in a 17-4 final score.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will resume Conference Carolinas action as they host the Barton Bulldogs on March 1 at noon. They will then welcome the University of Bridgeport to Childs Field at 4pm on March 4. The Warriors will travel to Spartanburg, SC on March 8 to take on the Converse Valkyries.
