BELMONT, N.C. Gianna Conti added to her team lead in goals with two more to her total as the Belmont Abbey field hockey team faced Limestone in a battle of the top two teams in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas. The game lived up to expectations and 80 minutes was not enough to decide a winner after both teams finished tied at 2-2. For the first time in program history, the Crusaders competed in a shootout against the Saints. In the end, Limestone won the shootout 2-1 to come away with the victory. Both teams have identical 6-3 overall records following Friday's contest. Limestone is now 5-1 in conference play while Belmont Abbey moves to 4-2 in the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas standings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither side was able to get on the scoreboard in the first 15 minutes of play.
• The Saints scored first with 12:49 in the second quarter to take a 1-0 lead.
• The Crusaders rallied to tie the game twice in the fourth quarter.
• Conti's first goal came with 12:01 left in the fourth quartr off an assist by Kiera Lyons. It was the second assist in as many games for Lyons.
• After the Saints went back in front 2-1, Conti scored the tying goal with 3:29 left in regulation to give her nine for the season.
• Conti's nine goals puts her one shy of matching the single-season school record of 10 shared by Tyla Goodsell-Matthews and Kayley Williams from the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively.
• The Crusaders finished with 10 shots for the game with seven of those coming in the fourth quarter and both overtime periods.
• Limestone scored first in the shootout on the team's second attempt.
• Isabella Grasso scored for the Crusaders on the team's third attempt.
• Kelly Diplock scored both goals during regulation for the Saints and had the deciding goal in the shootout to give the Saints a team goal.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey resumes conference play on the road against Newberry at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
• The Crusaders defeated the Wolves 2-1 in the first meeting Sept. 18 at Alumni Field.