BELMONT, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey men's soccer team opened Conference Carolinas play with a back-and-forth battle with Lees-McRae Wednesday evening at Alumni Field. The lead changed three times before ultimately ending in a 3-3 draw between the Crusaders and Bobcats.

Belmont Abbey moved to 1-3-1 on the season and 0-0-1 in conference play. Lees McRae is now 2-1-2 with an identical 0-0-1 mark in the league standings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lees-McRae got on the board first with a penalty kick in the 10th minute.
• The Crusaders responded with a goal of their own in the 22^nd minute as Zion Duncan scored off an assist from Brett Ramsey to make it 1-1.
• Pa Njie scored his first Belmont Abbey goal with a penalty kick in the 27th minute. The Abbey took a 2-1 lead and would hold that going into halftime.
• The Bobcats pulled even at 2-2 with a goal in the 50th minute.
• Davis McBee earned his second goal of the season off a free kick in the 57th minute.
• Lees-McRae got a third goal in the 80th minute.
• Will Whitman made the start but Nikolaus Opel made his first appearance of the regular season in Wednesday's contest. The goalkeepers accournted for two saves each.
• Belmont Abbey finished with nine shots total and five on goal.

UP NEXT
Belmont Abbey hosts North Greenville in Conference Carolinas play at 7 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Field.