Wingate, N.C.----Five Tusculum College student-athletes scored multiple goals to lead the Pioneers to a 16-11 South Atlantic Conference victory over Wingate University at the Irwin Belk Track Complex turf field Saturday. Tusculum is 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the SAC, while Wingate is 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the SAC.
 
Tusculum junior attack Cheyenne Bray (Collierville, Tenn.) led the visitors with seven points, thanks to two goals and a game-high five assists. Pioneer freshman midfield Lillian Lesniewski (Seymour, Tenn.) led all goal scorers with four tallies. Tusculum racked up 10 assists, as freshman midfield Madison Malone (Maple Grove, Minn.) supported Bray's generosity with four helpers.
 
For Wingate, junior midfield Emily Nosek (Bel Air, Md.) had four points to lead the Bulldogs. Nosek recorded three goals and one assist. Junior midfield Erin Murphy (Mooresville, N.C.) three goals, while sophomore midfield Brittany Andrews (Bel Air, Md.) and freshman attack Madison LaBarbera (Colchester, Conn.) posted two goals each.
 
Tusculum never trailed Saturday. After Malone (28:40) and Nosek (24:26) traded goals to start the game, TC freshman attack Savannah Elliott (Oshawa, Ontario) scored on an assist from Malone to give the Pioneers the lead for good at the 20:17 mark.
 
Elliott's score started a 4-0 spurt for Tusculum. TC senior midfield Kelsey Crow (Franklin, Tenn.) had two goals in the 4-0 push. LaBarbera (15:36), Murphy (12:23) and Andrews (11:14) answered to cut the Wingate deficit to 5-4, but the Bulldogs would get no closer.
 
The Pioneers finished the first half on a 5-1 run to take a 10-5 lead to the halftime locker room. Five different players had one goal each in the explosion, while Bray dished out two assists. Tusculum returned from intermission with a hot hand, scoring the first three goals of the second stanza to take 13-5 lead on a Bray goal at the 26:17 mark.
 
Lesniewski scored the first two goals of the second half to help the visitors to their biggest lead of the afternoon. Wingate would score the next three goals, but the Bulldogs would get no closer. Wingate outshot Tusculum 19-8 in the second half and 32-29 for the game, but the Pioneers' defense made stops when necessary.
 
Tusculum freshman goalie Brooke Wagner (Snellville, Ga.) had 15 saves, including nine in the second half. Wingate sophomore net minder Paulena Dempsey (Jarrettsville, Md.) had 10 saves. Both Wagner and Dempsey played 60 minutes each.
 
Wingate visits Lincoln Memorial Wednesday for a 2 p.m. contest. The Bulldogs return home Saturday, March 14 for a 1 p.m. non-conference encounter with Young Harris. Tusculum visits Shorter for a 1 p.m. game on Tuesday.