The Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Lacrosse Team saw Belmont Abbey score the first five goals of the game in a non-conference defeat on Saturday evening, 17-9.

Belmont Abbey scored 1:51 into the game and never looked back. The Crusaders would score five unanswered to start the game and nine of the first 10 goals on the night.

Chloe Christensen scored each of LR’s first half goals as the Crusaders took a 9-2 lead into the break. Ellie Campbell and Jolan Morey each scored 4:53 into the start of the second half as the Bears cut the lead to 10-4 but the Crusaders had the answer.

Belmont Abbey used a 5-1 scoring run to extend the lead to 15-5 at the 2:41 mark of the third quarter. Christensen led the Bears with four goals and took nine shots.

Campbell had two goals and an assist and Kaitlyn Cavanaugh added a pair of assists. Teanna Sieben made 14 saves in goal for the Bears.

Belmont Abbey was led by nine points from Riley D’Andrea on five goals and four assists.

This was just the fourth all-time meeting in Belmont for these two programs with each winning twice. Belmont Abbey leads the all-time overall series 9-3. The Bears have dropped back-to-back contests since getting to the .500 mark at 4-4.

This is the Bears first game against a Conference Carolinas opponent this season and the first since taking on Belmont Abbey on Feb 24, 2021. LR drops to 1-5 in non-conference games this year.

The Bears drop to 4-6 on the season in what will be their final non-conference road game of the regular season. Lenoir-Rhyne will return to action on Wednesday night as they host rival Wingate at 4 p.m.