NEWBERRY – The Newberry Wolves (5-7, 2-4) traded haymakers with conference foe No. 10 Limestone (8-3, 5-0) in the opening half, but the Saints ultimately pulled away in the second half to earn a 5-2 victory.
 
The fireworks came early and often between the Wolves and Saints, with the game's first three goals being scored in the first 12 minutes. Limestone's Kelly Diplock was the first to break through with a goal in the fourth minute, but Newberry wasted no time in leveling the score, responding with a goal from Haley Smith in the seventh minute.
 
Limestone converted again in the 12th minute, this time firing a shot from the top of the arc off of a penalty corner, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead.
 
The pace began to slow as both teams settled in, but when the Wolves earned a penalty corner in the 30th minute, it was Brady Keeler who stepped into the spotlight. After collecting the entry pass from Paige Lehine, Keeler fired as absolute rocket from the top-right portion of the arc that went screaming past the goalkeeper, tying the game up at 2-2.
 
The match looked like it would head into the break deadlocked, but the Saints managed to tack on a late goal in the 34th minute to make the halftime score 3-2 in favor of Limestone.
 
Following the halftime break, Limestone found lose ball just a few yards outside of the goal and were able to capitalize, pushing the count to 4-2 in the 46th minute.
 
The Wolves aggressive play continued in the second half, but without as many scoring opportunities, they couldn't quite manage what they needed to get back into the game.
 
Finally, with time running down, Limestone's Abby Thompson corralled a shot off the post and converted, adding an insurance goal in the 69th minute to set the final score at 5-2 Saints.
 
The final shot tally was 15-5 in favor of the Saints, with Limestone also getting the advantage in penalty corners by a margin of 8-2.
 
Keeler's goal, her fifth of the season, puts her career total at 17, good for third-most in program history. Her next goal will move her into a tie for second-most, with two more earning her sole possession of second.
 
The Wolves continue their seven-game home stand on Sunday, October 21 at 2:00 pm against another conference opponent, the Coker Cobras at Setzler Field. In their first meeting of the season, the Wolves defeated the Cobras by a score of 2-1 on the road.