Athens, Tennessee. – The Crusaders would begin their two-game road trip by traveling to Athens, Tennessee to face the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan University. Madonna's late-game rally would not be enough as the Bulldogs would hold on to win.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Bulldogs would start the game hot as they would open scoring by taking a commanding 8-to-0 lead over the Crusaders. Within those eight unanswered goals, Kate Buchanan would notch four goals and one assist through five minutes and 47 seconds of play. Olivia Downey would record three goals, and Kylie Heinrich would secure one. Crusader Madi Conrad would find strike at the 3:06 minute mark of the first quarter as Conrad shook the defender with a stutter-step and ripped it past the goalie to give Madonna their first goal. Roughly two minutes later, Bulldog, Jozlyn Long, would close out the first quarter of play with an answered goal to Madonna's to give Tennessee Wesleyan a 9-to-1 lead heading into the second quarter.
 
Flowing into the second quarter, Tennessee Wesleyan extended their lead even further as Long and Buchanan notch brought the Bulldogs' lead to 11. Madonna's Rion Rodriguez would have a fast break up the field before putting on the breaks, spinning, and beating the goalie low to give the Crusaders their second goal of the game.
 
Following the end of the first half, the Bulldogs would keep the pattern of opening scoring going as Buchanan and Long would again find the back of the goal for Tennessee Wesleyan to give them their largest lead of the game, 12 goals. The Crusaders would begin their late-game rally when Ri O'Connor would deliver a beautiful pass to the front of the net for LeeAnn Johnson to pick up her third goal on the season. Sydney Pattinson would keep the train rolling as she would drive her way to the front of the net and bury the ball to cut the lead down to ten. Tennessee Wesleyan would head into the fourth quarter with a 14-to-4 lead.
 
The fourth quarter would be all Madonna on the scoring end. Madi Conrad would notch another two goals, with Pattinson picking up her second of the game, and Olivia Lazenby would pick up her first goal of the game. As much as the Crusaders scored, the goal deficit would be too much, and the Bulldogs would go on to win 14-to-8.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Conrad secured a hat trick with an assist to finish with four total points.
• Madonna would be 22-for-23 on clears.
• The Crusaders would generate 29 shots against Tennessee Wesleyan.

 
UP NEXT:

The Crusaders will complete their two-game road trip when they face #9 Life University on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
 
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