Hickory, NC – Starting the week off the right way your Crusaders traveled to Hickory to take on the Bears from Lenoir-Rhyne University. The scoring for both teams was early and often as the teams combine for a total of fifteen goals in the first half. Although the Bears lead for the majority of the game the Crusaders gave Lenoir-Rhyne a run for their money staying within striking distance for the entirety of the game. The Crusaders thrived on their ability to drive the ball inside of the eight-meter arc and finish in tight.

The first half was an exciting period for any fan of offense as the Bears and Crusaders combine to score fifteen goals, eight of which were scored in the first ten minutes of the period. The Bears came out firing on all cylinders scoring three of the first four goals of the game. Hannah Hawkins (Senior) scored the first goal of the game for the Crusaders as Brenis Napoli (Junior) drove from behind the goal and found Hawkins on the down cut. The Crusaders went on a two-goal run during the seventh minute of play as Rachel Kellogg (Junior) drove in on the Bear defense and put the ball past the goalie on a offside shot and then Bridgett Sewell (Sophomore) drove down the field and took the assist from Jillian Chiesa (Junior). The two-goal run tied the game at three and gave the Crusaders a spark. Kellogg added another goal for the Crusader nine minutes later right before Olivia Foltz (Freshman) netted her first goal of the game after driving past all of the defenders. The first half came to a close with the Bears leading 5 – 10.

The second half was a back-and-forth period that saw the Crusaders outscore the Bears 7 to 6. Hawkins netted two more goals on the afternoon, one of which was assisted by Sewell. The Crusaders ran transition well in the second half as predominantly defensive players got involved. Foltz scored two more times in the second half to give herself a hat trick on the afternoon. Kellogg finished inside once again at the 10:23 mark followed by a goal by Napoli and Kaitlin Yenson (Junior). The Crusaders made a push at the end of the game to close the gap but fell short ultimately dropping the game 12 – 16. The offense did its best to score along with the Bears, but the transition that Lenoir-Rhyne put together was too much for the Crusaders to handle.

Individually, Rachel Kellogg, Olivia Fultz, and Hannah Hawkins all scored 3 goals with Foltz scoring off of a free position shot. Sydney Taylor played an outstanding game finishing with 12 saves and a caused turnover.

The Crusaders now look to get back on track as they host Wingate University this Thursday, February 28^th. The first draw is scheduled for 4 pm in Pepsi Stadium.