The Belmont Abbey women's lacrosse team opened the 2015 season with a 17-10 loss to the visiting Rollins Tars this afternoon at Alumni Field. Rollins, ranked 18th nationally, improves to 2-0 in the victory, while the Abbey is 0-1.

The first half was tightly contested as Rollins moved ahead 2-0 before the Crusaders quickly matched the Tars. Mackenzie Miller gave the Abbey its first, and only, lead at 4-3 with back-to-back goals, but Rollins surged ahead for good with four unanswered strikes. The two teams went back and forth for the next four goals as Rollins carried a 9-6 lead into the break.

Belmont Abbey kept within striking distance through much of the second half until Rollins pulled away late by scoring the game's final five goals, including two with a player down, to seal the win.

Miller led the Crusaders with three goals, with Katy Connery and Kassie Easter adding two each. Rebecca Stromberg Shanin Darley and Katelin Glass all had one each. Rebecca Luca finished with two assists with Connery, Easter, Glass and Stromberg all recording one.

Connery, the 2014 NCAA Division II ground balls champion, scooped up ten today with eight draw control wins. Easter won four draw controls with four ground balls.

The Crusaders are off for eight days and return to the field February 18 when hosting Wingate.