MURFREESBORO, N.C. — A dominant offensive performance from Brayden Rieger propelled the Mount Olive Trojans men’s lacrosse to a 13-8 road victory over the Chowan Hawks men’s lacrosse in midweek action.
Mount Olive came out strong, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the opening quarter behind goals from Julian Amick, Rieger, and Mikey Stavrianakis. The Trojans added just one more goal in the second quarter, coming from Benjamin Vanderkley, but maintained control heading into halftime.
The second half proved to be more competitive, with the Hawks battling back to even the score early and eventually taking a brief lead by the end of the third quarter. Despite trailing, Mount Olive held a statistical edge, outshooting Chowan and dominating faceoffs.
In the final quarter, the Trojans surged ahead for good. Rieger delivered back-to-back goals to reclaim the lead, sparking a decisive run that put the game out of reach and sealed the 13-8 victory.
Rieger finished with six goals on seven shots on goal, along with two ground balls in a standout effort. Charles Gott contributed three points with two goals and an assist, while Joshua Dewart added a goal.
Defensively, Gannon Hackler led the Trojans with five caused turnovers and three ground balls, helping disrupt Chowan’s offensive rhythm.
Mount Olive will return home on March 21 for a conference matchup against the Emmanuel Lions men’s lacrosse, with faceoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
