Box Score
 
Salisbury, N.C.----For the second time this year and third time in her career, Wingate University sophomore forward Jade Montgomery (Monroe, N.C.) registered a hat trick, as the Bulldogs overcame  1-0 halftime deficit en route to a 3-1 victory at Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference women’s soccer action Wednesday afternoon. Wingate wins its fifth straight, improving to 8-1-1 overall and 5-1 in the SAC. Catawba sees its five-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 8-5 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

“This performance speaks volumes of the character of this squad,” Wingate head coach Gary Curneen says. “Catawba is a difficult place to win; when things aren’t going well, it is easy to hide. None of our girls hid tonight; I am proud of their performance.”

Catawba got on the board first, when sophomore defender Karen Presnell (Salisbury, N.C.) scored with 11 minutes remaining in the first half to put the Indians on top 1-0. Junior forward Amy Iwanicki (Calgary, Alberta) and junior forward Juliana Conte (Hampton, Ontario) assisted on the play, as Presnell netted her fourth goal of the year.

The Bulldogs tied it eight minutes into the second half, when a free kick from just inside midfield from junior defender Holly Holsclaw (Matthews, N.C.) was headed in by Montgomery, making it 1-1.

Montgomery put the Bulldogs on top nine minutes later, taking a lead pass from sophomore midfielder Katie Simpson (Indian Trail, N.C.) and beating the keeper in the lower left corner to make it 2-1.

Montgomery finished the hat trick in the 75th minute. A shot from senior forward Shelby Forza (Pickering, Ontario) was saved by the Catawba keeper, but Montgomery took the rebound and found the back of the net for the 14th time this season. The 2011 All-SAC and All-Region performer leads the SAC in goals this year, and has now registered a point in five consecutive games. She has netted multiple goals in five of Wingate’s 10 matches this season. Montgomery’s first career hat trick came against Catawba in the 2011 Food Lion SAC Tournament.  

The Bulldogs out-shot Catawba 16-12 on the day, while holding a 13-8 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Miriam Boucher (Calgary, Alberta) registered seven saves for Wingate, including a pair of diving saves early in the second half right after the Bulldogs tied it at one. Freshman Angelica Pawlowski (Las Vegas, Nev.) piled up 10 saves for the Indians on the afternoon.

Wingate returns to action Saturday, traveling to Anderson for a 2 p.m. start. Catawba travels to Tusculum Saturday at 5 p.m.