SAINT LEO, Fla. -- No. 19 Belmont Abbey proved to be no match for the Saint Leo women's lacrosse team Friday night. The Lions devoured Abbey 10-6 in Friday's crusade. 

Christina Minneci led Saint Leo with four points (2 goals, 2 assists), and Abbie Ross and Allie Sheftall each contributed two goals. 

Down 2-0 in the first half, the Lions rallied with a 5-0 run spearheaded by Minneci. The senior connected with Joanna Chadwick and then Sheftall to tie the game at 2-2. Abbie Ross powered in a shot off a Katherine Larson pass and gave the Lions a 3-2 lead.

The Lions lead extended to two-points when Kelly Smigiera wove through the Crusader defense and scored an unassisted goal. 13 seconds later, Sheftall converted a free poistion shot on the tail end of the 5-0 run. Belmont Abbey's Rebecca Luca ended the Lions streak, but Alix Murray put the exclamation point on an excellent half on an unassisted goal. The Green and Gold ended the first half with a 6-3 advantage. 

The Lions remained in control throughout the second half. Ross scored six minutes into the final half and gave the Lions a 7-4 lead. Belmont Abbey scored back-to-back goals and pulled within one, but Minneci halted any hope of a comeback. 

Minneci stopped the Crusader trail on a free position shot and a few plays later Emily Pittenger found the back of the net on another free position. With a 9-6 lead, Minneci scored in the final three minutes of the game on an unassisted goal from 10 yards out. 

The Lions four point margin was the largest since the season opener against Molloy in February. Brittany Millsap notched her third win of the season, and made six saves in 60 minutes of action. 

Saint Leo had 13 successful clear attempts of 15, and went 3-for-8 from free position shots. The Lions picked up 17 ground balls. 

Saint Leo will travel for the first time this season over spring break. The Lions two-game road swing will send them to Newberry and Limestone on March 16th and 18th before returning to the friendly confines of University Turf Stadium March 20. 

For more information on the Saint Leo women's lacrosse program, visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.