Wingate, N.C.----Coker College built a four-goal halftime lead and withstood a Wingate rally, taking an 8-6 South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse triumph over Wingate University at the Irwin Belk Track Complex turf field Wednesday night. Coker improves to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the SAC. Wingate is 6-6 overall and 4-1 in the SAC.
 
For Coker, senior midfield Josh Smith (Mendon, Mass.) had three goals. Cobra junior attack Mike Martiello (Westbury, N.Y.) had two goals and one assist. Sophomore midfield Josh Wassum (Monkton, Md.) had a team-best two assists.
 
For Wingate, junior attack Ryan Vogrig (Vancouver, B.C.) had two goals. Sophomore attack Austin Murphy (Orillia, Ontario) had one goal and two assists. Sophomore attack Tanner Kotch (Butler, Pa.) had one goal and one assist.

Smith had two first-half goals as the Cobras built a 6-2 halftime lead. Bulldog senior midfield Zak Goings (Haymarket, Va.) started the scoring as he posted an unassisted goal 70 seconds into the contest. Coker scored seven of the next eight goals to take a 7-2 lead following a Smith goal from a Martiello assist with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
 
The Bulldogs scored four of the last five goals to make things interesting. Murphy tallied an unassisted goal at the 5:23 mark of the third quarter, cutting the Wingate deficit to 7-3 entering the fourth frame. WU sophomore midfield Seth Grimwood (Huntingtown, Md.) started the fourth quarter scoring (10:50) from a Kotch assist to trim the Coker margin to 7-4.
 
Cobra senior midfield John Bretton (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) scored an unassisted goal at the 9:18 mark to give the visitors a four-goal lead at 8-4. Vogrig scored two man-up goals (4:12, 2:12) on assists from Murphy to slice the Coker lead in half.  Wingate would not score again as Coker claimed its third win in three lifetime tries against the Bulldogs.
 
Coker senior goalie Tim Ryan (Glocester, R.I.) had 18 saves in 60 minutes as the Bulldogs outshot the Cobras 32-28. He allowed six goals. WU sophomore goalie Jacob Ormerod (Lake Mary, Fla.) took the tough-luck loss, as he surrendered eight goals and posted eight saves in a complete-game effort.
 
Wingate will play its second night game in as many outings Saturday, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne for a 7 p.m. SAC contest. Coker continues its road swing the same day, visiting Catawba for a 7 p.m. league game.