VIDEO: Interview with Ashlyn Hardie & Chip Wiggins
VIDEO: Taylor Leyble Goal
Rock Hill, S.C.----The second-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs defeated third-seeded Newberry College 1-0 Friday evening in the South Atlantic Conference women's soccer tournament semifinals at Manchester Meadows. The Bulldogs move to 12-2-3 overall, advancing to Sunday's SAC Tournament championship game. Newberry falls to 10-4-4 on the season.
This marks the fifth consecutive year the Bulldogs will be playing on championship Sunday. Wingate won its first-ever SAC Tournament title in 2011, while adding a second championship last season. The Bulldogs will face top-seeded and 22nd-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Bulldogs and Bears have met in four of those championship matches.
The victory moves Wingate's unbeaten streak to 12 matches. The Bulldogs are 11-0-1 in that span, outscoring opponents 38-1. Wingate has now gone over 1,060 minutes without allowing a goal, notching 11 straight shutouts.
The lone goal of the match came 20 minutes into the first half. A cross from SAC Player of the Year
Jade Montgomery (Monroe, N.C.) was re-directed in the box by All-SAC forward
Brooke Howell (Charlotte, N.C.). She found freshman
Taylor Leyble (Jacksonville, N.C.), who netted her fifth goal of the season.
That would be enough for the Bulldogs. Newberry out-shot Wingate 13-4 on the afternoon, holding a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal. Second team All-SAC goalkeeper
Ashlyn Hardie (Summerfield, N.C.) piled up a season-high nine saves for the Bulldogs, her most saves since notching 10 saves in her first start of her freshman season.
Alexis Carrillo had two saves for the Wolves.
Sunday's championship match will take place at Manchester Meadows at 1 p.m. Wingate will be looking for a second straight tournament title and third in four years, while also trying to guarantee a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Wingate entered the week ranked fifth in the NCAA Southeast Region poll, one spot ahead of Newberry. Lenoir-Rhyne is ranked number two in the region. The Bears defeated Wingate 2-1 in double overtime in Hickory in the regular season meeting.
