Box Score

Hickory, N.C.----The Lenoir-Rhyne University men’s soccer team built a two-goal lead and survived a late Wingate University rally to claim a 2-1 South Atlantic Conference victory Friday night at Bears Field. Lenoir-Rhyne is 6-8-1 overall and 2-4 in the SAC, while Wingate is 4-9 overall and 2-4 in the SAC.

Lenoir-Rhyne junior defender Joe Green (York, England) put the Bears on the board with a header in the 14th minute. Green converted a corner kick pass from junior defender Chris Johnson (Liverpool, England) for his first goal of the season.

The host Bears would take the 1-0 advantage into intermission. In the 69th minute, L-R senior midfielder George Wilson (London, England) found the back of the nets on a blast from 30 yards. The insurance goal was Wilson’s first of the 2011 campaign.

The visiting Bulldogs continued to battle. Wingate senior midfielder Fabricio Barancoski (Sao Paulo, Brazil) recorded his first goal of the season in the 83rd minute. Junior midfielder Zach Machuca (Fair Lawn, N.J.) sent a corner kick to the box. Junior defender Corey McCollom (Monroe, N.C.) headed the ball to Barancoski for the Bulldog goal.

Wingate drew two offside warnings in the waning moments. The Bulldogs collected six offside calls on the night. Wingate sophomore Gui Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) had a potential match-tying shot with three seconds remaining, but Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore goalkeeper Stefan Dill (Southampton, Bermuda) made the save to preserve the victory.

Wingate outshot Lenoir-Rhyne 16-12. The Bulldogs held an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Bulldog senior goalkeeper Peter Trask (Alpaus, N.Y.) had three saves. He surrendered two goals in 90 minutes. Dill also went the distance, posting six saves and permitting one goal.
The victory allowed the L-R Bears to snap a five-match losing streak to the Bulldogs. Lenoir-Rhyne’s last victory over Wingate was a 3-0 Food Lion SAC tournament semi-final decision on Oct. 27, 2006, when current assistant coach Gary Higgins recorded two goals.