MOUNT OLIVE — On the season home opener, the University of Mount Olive women’s lacrosse team cruised past the Southern Wesleyan by a score of 27-1 in conference action on Saturday at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex.
With the win, Mount Olive starts the season 1-0 after being picked as the preseason favorite in the Conference Carolinas. Meanwhile, Southern Wesleyan falls to 0-1 this season. This win marks the program’s largest margin of victory against the Warriors and extends the Trojans winning streak to 35 straight in league play.
UMO set the tone for the game as they scored seven straight goals in the first quarter. In the opening four minutes, junior Rileigh White scored an unassisted goal, followed by two goals by junior Teagan Dunnett, and a goal by freshman Caroline Clark, 4-0. Nearing the end of the quarter, senior Bria Hamilton scored back-to-back goals and sophomore Hannah Legge closed the first by putting one past the keeper, 7-0. At the start of the second quarter, UMO attacked the cage as they saw goals from senior Logan Hibbard and sophomore Hailey Morgan. With a goal by Clark, the running clock rule was initiated, and the Trojans were up 10-0. In the next four minutes, White, graduate student Madalyn DeGarlais, and junior Lena DeFilippo all scored to extend the lead even further, 13-0. Scoring a hat trick, Dunnett scored the 14th goal of the game. Closing the first half, sophomore Maddy Fratus, Dunnett, and sophomore Alexa Fitzgerald each found the back of the net, 17-0.
At the start of the second half, Morgan scored back-to-back goals, 19-0. First-time goal scorers of the season who also hit the back of the cage were freshmen Anna Greco and Kayanna Bowden and sophomore Sara Livingstone, 22-0. Hamilton saw her third goal of the game while DeFilippo finished with her second goal of the day, 24-0. In the last frame, junior Jenna Mish and freshman Leah Muscatello scored their first career goal, 26-0. Tallying their first goal of the game, the Warriors were able to put one in the back of the cage, 26-1. Ending the game, Fratus scored the last goal of the contest at the 3:11 mark, 27-1.
Freshman Ruby Burandt, junior Anna James, senior Jane Hobbs, and freshman Karissa Doerr all played 15 minutes in the contest.
UMO held a 38-4 shot advantage over SWU, including a 21-6 edge in groundballs.
Dunnett collected four goals and two assists while Morgan snagged nine draw controls.
Mount Olive is set to host Embry-Riddle on Tuesday at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex at 1 p.m.
