Mount Olive, NC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the University of Mount Olive Trojans in their season and conference opener on Saturday evening in a 21-5 final score.
The Warriors totaled 13 shots with 10 shots being on target in the loss to the Trojans. Caelyn Little led the team with five shots on goal. Ella McCowen followed with three shots on target. Little went on to have three of the goals while McCowen recorded the other two goals. Hayley Billings had two assists in the game.
Southern Wesleyan picked up seven ground balls with Fianna Steves leading the team with three. Taylor Townsend, Hayley Billings, Ava Lombardi and Alyssa Madar also had ground balls awarded to them. The Warriors caused six turnovers with Steves having three. Steves went on to win two draw controls. Lombardi played fifty-seven minutes in the cage and recorded 10 saves in the first game of the season.
Game Vitals
Final: University of Mount Olive 21, Southern Wesleyan 5
Records: Southern Wesleyan (0-1 / CC 0-1) Mount Olive (1-0 / CC 1-0)
How It Happened
The Trojans were first on the board as just over a minute into the first quarter Maddy Fratus got the ball into the cage. They went on the attack again, but Katie Broom's shot was saved by Warriors' goalkeeper Ava Lombardi. Fratus continued her attacks as she scored twice more. With just over three minutes left in the first quarter, the Warriors went on the offensive as Ella McCowen sent the ball into the back of the cage. Fianna Steves looked for the cage, but her shot on the net was saved by Molly Pulliam.
Mount Olive pressed on in the second quarter as goals by Maddy Fratus, Hailey Morgan and Karsyn Elliott allowed them to extend their lead to 9-1. Ella McCowen went on the offensive again as she sent the ball toward the cage, but Molly Pulliam was there to thwart her attack. The Warriors attacked several more times with shots by Caelyn Little and Fianna Steves, but none of them found the cage. A foul by the Trojans allowed McCowen to take a free position shot. McCowen got the ball past the Trojans goalkeeper for the Warriors second goal of the game. By the end of the quarter, Mount Olive had forced the running clock as Katie Broom scored to give the Trojans a 12-2 goal lead at halftime.
Charlotte Barnette won the opening draw of the third quarter, but the Trojans forced a turnover to regain possession of the ball. Morghan Pollock and Hailey Morgan each got in goals for the Trojans. Caelyn Little looked for the cage once more, but her shot ricocheted off the post.
Southern Wesleyan pressed on as a foul by the Trojans allowed Caelyn Little to take a free position shot. Little got the ball into the back of the cage for her first collegiate goal. Mount Olive answered with a couple of goals by Alexa Fitzgerald and Lilly Berg. Taylor Townsend picked up a ground ball and got the ball over to Caelyn Little. However, Little was fouled before she could take a shot on the cage to allow her to take another free position shot. Little got the ball into the cage once more for the Warriors fourth goal of the game. Despite one more goal by Little, the Warriors fell to the Trojans in a 21-5 final score.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will travel to Salisbury, NC on February 14 to take on the Catawba Indians at 1pm. They will then host their home opener on February 21 against Colorado State University Pueblo at 11am. The Warriors will welcome the Mars Hill Lions to Central on February 25.
