Montgomery Bell (Tenn.) Survives Late-Game Trinity (Ky.) Rally

Four weeks following an <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/03/marks-heroics-lift-st-xavier-ky-past-montgomery-bell-tenn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overtime loss</a> to Kentucky powerhouse St. Xavier, the Montgomery Bell (Tenn.) found themselves back in Louisville to face another Bluegrass State power in the Trinity Shamrocks. The Big Red's second trip to the Bluegrass State proved to be kinder than their first as they headed back across state lines Saturday evening with a wire-to-wire victory in hand.   Montgomery Bell topped Trinity 8-7 in a contest where the host Shamrocks found themselves trailing 7-1 at halftime and 8-1 late in the third quarter. Pete Schroder's squad pulled together an impressive fourth-quarter rally that saw the Shamrocks take a six-goal game and make it a two-score contest in just a mere 20 seconds of game time, thus gaining all the game's momentum early in the final stanza. In the closing minutes, with just over 3:30 remaining, the Trinity ride forced a Big Red turnover behind the cage. Trinity's [player_tooltip player_id='31912' first='Noah' last='Hollister'] grabbed the loose ball and moved it up top where LSM [player_tooltip player_id='20498' first='Sam' last='Alexander'] was moving downhill in space and ready for the score. Alexander's tally gave him his second on the day and pulled the home squad within one (8-7).   Trinity won the ground ball scrum off the ensuing faceoff and would have two more settled possessions before the final buzzer sounded. Within those possessions, the Shamrocks got off multiple shots with the last coming near the crease and with just 39 ticks remaining. The Eli Stark-anchored Big Red defense stood firm late and didn't allow Trinity to tie things up.   [player_tooltip player_id='16848' first='Cade' last='Sturdivant'] came off the pick, swept across the top of the box, and got Montgomery Bell on the board first within the first three minutes of the day. The Army commit had two goals during the Big Red's last trip to the Bluegrass and would match that total on Saturday. Senior Midfielder Will Woodward also has two scores on Saturday afternoon, which included the Big Red's final tally of the day late in the third quarter.   With the win, Montgomery Bell moves to 12-2 on the season. The Big Red have two contests left before playoff time with fellow Nashville program Father Ryan and Chattanooga-based Baylor both visiting The Hill this week. Trinity moves to 6-6 on the year with the loss. The Shamrocks have four games remaining on their schedule with three being regional contests versus KCD, Ballard, and Christian Academy. The Shamrocks will also travel north once more this season with an upcoming battle against Upper Arlington (Ohio).    Woodward came into Saturday's contest ninth in scoring for the Big Red and having not scored multiple goals in a game since early March. The senior midfielder came to life in St. Matthews, Ky., however as Woodward netted two goals to help lead the Big Red in the win. In his performance, Woodward showed an impressive display of shooting and showcased his range. His best play of the game came early as he beat a short-stick on a right/left split dodge at the top of the box before driving towards the left alley and sending home his first score of the day.     The Army verbal made his presence known on Saturday afternoon as he took the reigns, as usual, as the quarterback of the Big Red offense. Sturdivant looks comfortable and confident playing nearly anywhere on the offensive end. He is an especially strong dodger who is arguably at his best when making plays for his teammates. He was the best feeder and passes on the field. Sturdivant ended the day with two scores.     The Jacksonville signee has set himself apart as arguably the most versatile player in Kentucky over the past few seasons. Alexander proved that once more on Saturday as the LSM made plays all over the field. Alexander came up with ground balls off the faceoff wing, caused issues in settled 6v6 defense, and also made plays in both settled and unsettled offense. He was apart of three of the Shamrocks five fourth-quarter goals, scoring two and assisting on another.     One of multiple young offensive starters for the Shamrocks this season, Norrenbrock had a solid outing on Saturday as he ended with two goals on the day. His second score put an exclamation on a transition sequence and began Trinity's game-ending 6-0 run. Norrenbrock's first tally was his best as he face-dodged an approaching defender and put one home for the Shamrocks' first score of the day.     For a large part of the contest, the visiting Big Red seemingly dominated possession. The senior faceoff man played a big role in that effort as he was extremely consistent on the day. Franks went 10-for-19 (52%) at the dot and grabbed six ground balls.     Stark was impressive on Saturday, proving to be a very solid backstop for a Big Red defense that held the Trinity offense at bay for the majority of the contest. Stark was locked in from start to finish, making good save after good save all afternoon. The senior was especially good at stopping shots low, as well as outside looks. He ended the day with 10 saves and a 58% save percentage.

Four weeks following an overtime loss to Kentucky powerhouse St. Xavier, the Montgomery Bell (Tenn.) found themselves back in Louisville to face another Bluegrass State power in the Trinity Shamrocks. The Big Red's second trip to the Bluegrass State proved to be kinder than their first as they headed back across state lines Saturday evening with a wire-to-wire victory in hand.