WILSON, N.C. – Summer Eddinger set a new career high in saves for the Belmont Abbey women's lacrosse team and
Riley D'Andrea scored five goals as the Crusaders took on top-seeded Mount Olive in the Conference Carolinas championship game at Truist Stadium at Barton College.
Belmont Abbey rallied from a first-half four-goal deficit but it was Mount Olive who came away with an 11-9 victory. It was the third straight game that the Crusaders and Trojans have played in the championship game.
Eddinger finished with 18 saves, including 11 in the first half, and matched the most saves since Annie Brannon did so against Mount Olive on March 6, 2019. With records dating back to 2011, it is the most in program history.
Belmont Abbey finishes the season with a 12-7 overall record. Mount Olive is now 14-5 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Riley D'Andrea and Olivia Carlino scored the first two goals of the game for Belmont Abbey as both teams were battling back and forth. Mount Olive led 3-2 after the first 15 minutes.
- The Trojans jumped out to a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter before The Abbey rallied for three straight goals from D'Andrea to cut the deficit down to 7-6 at halftime.
- The third quarter turned into a defensive battle but goals from Haley Adamo and Emma Pherson completed the comeback to take an 8-7 lead in the third quarter.
- The Trojans pulled even late in the third quarter and scored three straight goals in the fourth to put the game away.
- Pherson added a goal with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter on an assist from Carlino.
- The Crusaders finished with 17 ground balls led by five from D'Andrea.
- Carlino also had three caused turnovers.
- Belmont Abbey finished with 23 shots, 20 of them on goal.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
