Women's Lacrosse | 2/8/2014 3:14:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. --The Methodist women's lacrosse team dropped a 15-6 decision to Berry in its season opener on Saturday afternoon at Monarch Stadium.
 
The Monarchs cut a five-goal deficit at the half (8-3) to just three by scoring the first two goals of the second half to make it an 8-5 game with 26:13 to play before four consecutive goals by the Vikings (1-0) pushed their advantage to seven (12-5) with just over 12 minutes on the clock en route to the win.
 
Cassie Walter scored MU's first goal of the second half when she made good on a free position shot 1:47 into the second period. Two minutes later, Jessie Earp scored an unassisted goal to bring the Monarchs within striking distance at 8-5. However, the Vikings responded with unassisted goals by Rachel Aiken, Kristan Dzuirzynski, Angelica Miller and Lizzie Jones to take the aforementioned 12-5 lead at the 12:10 mark.
 
Zhane' Ruffin scored MU's final goal on a free position shot to make it a 12-6 game in favor of Berry with 10:47 to play, and the Vikings added three more tallies down the stretch to close out the game.
 
Berry opened the contest by scoring the game's first three goals to take a 3-0 lead at the 21:23 mark. Aiken began the scoring with a free position goal at 25:29, then fed Sara Witten for a goal to make it 2-0 with 22:02 on the clock. Less than a minute later, Kelsey McAnnally scored for a 3-0 lead.
 
Methodist got on the board when Madison Antor scooped up a ground ball and took it in for her first collegiate goal at the 17:33 mark. Four more Berry goals, three of them by Dzuirynski, sandwiched around a tally by Walter left the game at 7-2 in favor of the Vikings with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half. Aiken scored at the 1:40 mark for Berry to make it an 8-2 game, and MU pulled within 8-3 at the half when M.J. Barton scored off a feed from Bianca Terenzi with three seconds on the clock.
 
For the game Aiken finished with six points on four goals and two assists. She also added three ground balls. Dzuirynski scored four goals, and chipped in four draw controls and two ground balls. Jones, Miller and McAnnally all contributed two goals apiece.
 
For Methodist, Walter had a pair of goals to pace the offense. Earp added a goal and an assist, and Antor chimed in with a goal, five draw controls, five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Methodist will hit the road next Saturday to take on Wingate at 1:00 pm.