SAC Tournament Championship Central 

Wingate, N.C.----For the third consecutive year, the Wingate University Bulldogs will be the number two seed in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference women's soccer tournament, which begins Tuesday. The Bulldogs will host seventh-seeded Newberry College at 3:30 p.m. Free HD video will be available for the contest, along with live stats.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season 12-2-3 overall and 8-2-1 in the SAC. Newberry enters the tournament at 9-8 overall after going 5-6 in league play. Wingate, which is ranked second in the most recent NCAA Southeast region poll, has played in the SAC championship match each of the past three seasons. The Bulldogs won their first-ever SAC Tournament title in 2011, while also earning the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Wingate lost in the SAC title match last season, but earned an at-large bid for the first time in program history.

The Bulldogs and Wolves meet in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals for the second straight year. Wingate won 4-1 last season, getting a hat trick from the SAC Female Athlete of the Year Jade Montgomery (Monroe, N.C.). Wingate senior Chandler Murphy (Pawleys Island, S.C.) had three assists in the contest.

Wingate and Newberry met during the regular season on Oct. 19 at Newberry, with the Bulldogs prevailing 2-0. Freshman forward Brooke Howell (Charlotte, N.C.) scored the first goal 11:39 into the contest, getting assists from Murphy and Montgomery. Freshman Naomi Matley (Clover, S.C.) added a goal four minutes into the second half to make the final margin 2-0, getting the assist from Howell.

The Bulldogs have continued their most successful run in program history this season. Wingate is 55-12-8 overall since the start of the 2010 season, going 31-5-2 in SAC play. The Bulldogs are in search of their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Wingate returned to the top 25 this for the first time since 2000. The Bulldogs have had an All-American in each of the past two seasons. Montgomery became the first player in program history to earn first team honors during 2012, scoring a nation's-best 21 goals. 2012 graduate Kelly Adams earned second team All-American honors in 2011 after leading the nation with 17 assists.

Wingate enters the contest having won seven of its last eight. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 21-4 during the stretch. Six of the seven victories were shutouts. Wingate's last two victories have both come in SAC play, starting with a 3-0 win against Anderson on Oct. 26. Montgomery had two goals and an assist, while Murphy added a goal for the Bulldogs. Wingate wrapped up the regular season with a 3-0 win at LMU Saturday, getting a pair of goals from senior midfielder Katie Simpson Eiss (Indian Trail, N.C.). Howell also netted a goal, while Montgomery added an assist.

Montgomery leads the SAC with 13 goals, nine assists and 35 points. The two-time All-SAC and All-Region performer has 47 career goals and 17 assists. Howell is fifth in the SAC with seven goals, ranking eighth with 17 points. Senior midfielder Taryn Grivois (Murietta, Calif.) is third in the conference with six assists, while Murphy has four goals and three assists, ranking 19th in the SAC with 11 points. Junior goalkeeper Ashlyn Hardie (Summerfield, N.C.) leads the SAC with an .868 save percentage and a 0.44 goals against average.

The Bulldogs lead the SAC with 2.4 goals per game on the year, while also registering a league-best 31 assists. The 'Dogs lead the league with a 0.67 goals against average, allowing only 0.55 goals per game during SAC contest.

The winner of the Wingate-Newberry match will take on the winner of the Queens vs. Tusculum Contest. That semifinal matchup will take place Friday night at 7 p.m. at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C. The championship game is Sunday at 4 p.m. in Rock Hill.
2013 Food Lion SAC Women's Soccer Championship Schedule

Quarterfinals – Nov. 5 (at higher seed)
7:30 p.m. No. 8 Carson-Newman at No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne
3:30 p.m. No. 7 Newberry at No. 2 Wingate
7:00 p.m. No. 6 Queens at No. 3 Tusculum
7:00 p.m. No. 5 Lincoln Memorial at No. 4 Catawba

Semifinals – Nov. 8 (at Rock Hill, S.C.)
7:00 p.m. CN-LR winner vs. LMU-Catawba winner
7:00 p.m. Newberry-Wingate winner vs. Queens Tusculum winner

SAC Championship – Nov. 10 (at Rock Hill, S.C.)
4:00 p.m. Semifinal winners

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University, ranked as the 8th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past seven years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000's with 57 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 57 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 66 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.