Wingate, N.C.----Senior attack Braden Artem (Acton, Ontario) had four goals and a pair of assists to lead visiting Catawba College to a 16-7 win over Wingate University in Deep South Conference men’s lacrosse action on Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field. Wingate senior midfield Bryan Bayliss (Lorton, Va.) led the Bulldogs with three goals (NCAA box score).
 
The Catawba Indians improve to 11-2 overall and 6-2 in the DSC, while the host Bulldogs fall to 4-9 overall and 3-5 in the DSC.  The teams will play again in the opening round of the 2012 DSC tournament on Tuesday night, this time at Catawba’s Shuford Stadium.
 
Catawba raced to a 5-0 lead after a quarter behind a pair of goals by Steven Ridolfo (Charlotte, N.C.) The Indians out-shot Wingate 15-3 in the opening frame. Catawba led 9-1 at the half.  Artem and Ridolfo both had three goals by the break. Bulldog junior attack Derek Watts (Winston-Salem, N.C.) opened the second quarter scoring (9:29) with Wingate’s only goal of the first half.
 
The Indians did not allow Wingate into the game, staying on top 12-3 through the third quarter. Consecutive goals by John Scheich (Waxhaw, N.C.) made the count 15-4 midway through the final quarter. Wingate scored three of the final four goals, with Bayliss contributing one goal to the game-ending flurry.
 
Bulldog junior attack Taylor Womble (Cary, N.C.) concluded the scoring with back-to-back tallies. Both Womble and Derek Watts had two goals each for the hosts. Wingate freshman attack Cory Schumacher (Gainesville, Va.) contributed an assist on Womble’s first fourth-quarter goal (4:17).
 
Ridolfo followed Artem with three goals and one assist for Catawba, while Scheich had two goals and two helpers. Indian junior midfield Tom Cullop (New Windsor, Md.) and senior midfield Cory Losselyong (Lewisville, N.C.) also had a pair of goals each for the Indians. 
 
Catawba held a 47-28 edge in shots and a 44-33 advantage in ground balls. Senior goalkeeper Michael Pecchia (Coquitlam, B.C.) posted seven saves for Catawba in 48 minutes of action. Wingate senior goalie Danny Dlugozima (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) stopped 17 shots in 51 minutes.
 
In pre-game ceremonies, Wingate recognized seven senior student-athletes playing their final game in Belk Stadium. In addition to team captains Bayliss and Dlugozima, attack men Travis Barrett (Andover, N.J.) and David Lee (Greensboro, N.C.), midfield Bryant Lilley (Nashua, N.H.) and defensemen Justin Harward (High Point, N.C.) and Michael McDaniel (Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.) were also recognized.
 
(Thanks to Catawba SID Jim Lewis for his contributions to this story.)