Women's Soccer | 10/31/2016 1:20:00 PM

Championship Central | Bracket

Charlotte, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs will be the number five seed in this week's South Atlantic Conference women's soccer tournament, which begins Tuesday night. The Bulldogs will travel to Charlotte to face fourth-seeded Queens at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs and Royals both finished 8-3 in league play this season. Wingate enters the postseason 10-5-1 overall, while Queens is 10-6 on the year.

The Bulldogs finished only a half-game out of the three-way tie for first place in the league standings. Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman and Tusculum were 8-2-1 in conference play, earning 25 points to finish one point ahead of Wingate and Queens. The Bulldogs picked up victories over Carson-Newman and Tusculum in the regular season, closing out the year with a 2-0 win over the Pioneers.

Wingate and Queens met Sep. 21 in Charlotte, with the Royals prevailing 2-1. Queens scored twice in the first 23 minutes, then held on for the win after Taylor Leyble (Jacksonville, N.C.) scored a goal in the 61st minute for the Bulldogs. Wingate out-shot Queens 19-16 on the night, with an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal. All-American midfielder Kaitlyn Brunworth (Littleton, Colo.) led all players with five shots.

This marks the second consecutive year the Bulldogs and Royals have met in the SAC Tournament. Brunworth's goal in the 85th minute gave Wingate a 1-0 victory in last year's SAC Tournament semifinals, sending the Bulldogs to the SAC title match for the sixth straight year. Wingate has won eight of its last 10 contests against Queens.

The Bulldogs won seven of their last eight SAC contests after the Queens setback in September. Wingate is led by sophomore forward Kimmi Moore (Hubert, N.C.), who has seven goals and two assists on the year. Freshman forward Taylor Krakower (Wayne, N.J.) has collected five goals and four assists on the year, while Leyble has four goals and two assists. Brunworth has compiled two goals and three assists on the season. The Bulldogs have 11 players with at least one goal and one assist this year, while 13 different players have scored a goal.

The Wingate defense ranks second in the conference with a 0.60 goals-against average. The Bulldogs led the league in each of the previous three seasons. Wingate is also second in the conference with 10 shutouts, while allowing only six goals in 11 league contests. Sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Jones (Midway Park, N.C.) is second in the conference in save percentage and goals-against average.

The winner of Tuesday's Wingate-Queens contest will advance to Friday's SAC Tournament semifinals to face the winner of the Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Newberry contest. That semifinal match will take place at 11 a.m. at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C. Wingate defeated Newberry 2-1 in overtime, while falling 1-0 at Lenoir-Rhyne. The SAC championship match will take place Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. in Rock Hill.

BULLDOG CLUB CLAM BAKE SLATED FOR NOV. 4
 
The Wingate University Bulldog Club is hosting its sixth annual Clam Bake at the University Lake Friday, Nov. 4 (doors open at 6 p.m.). Everyone is welcome as the University celebrates Homecoming weekend. On the same day, the 41st annual Bill Connell Memorial Golf Tournament will be contested at Eagle Chase Golf Club. The shotgun start is slated for 9:30 a.m. Both the Clam Bake and the BCMGT benefit deserving student-athletes.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
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 10 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 86 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 86 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 95 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.

Tuesday, Nov. 1 (at Highest Seeds)
Game 1: #1 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. #8 Newberry, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: #4 Queens vs. #5 Wingate, 7 p.m.
Game 3: #2 Carson-Newman vs. #7 Catawba, 5 p.m.
Game 4: #3 Tusculum vs. #6 Anderson, 5 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4 (Manchester Meadows, Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 5: winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 6: winner game 3 vs. winner game 4, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6 (Manchester Meadows, Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 7: winner game 5 vs. winner game 6, 1 p.m.