Wingate, N.C.----Seton Hill University sophomore attack Hunter Hayes (Wading River, N.Y.) led the Griffin scoring with three goals and sophomore attack Garret Howell (Chandler, Ariz.) added two goals and three assists as the number eight Griffins earned a 13-12 NCAA Division II win over Wingate University on Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex.
 
Wingate junior attack Austin Murphy (Orillia, Ontario) led the way with two goals along with a team-leading six assists. Freshman midfielder Daniel Godwin (Greensboro, N.C.) scored the first two goals of his collegiate career; his first goal was scored with 10:39 in the second quarter. Godwin was among two other freshman midfielders, Kenan Reed (Winston Salem, N.C.) and Conor Gronbach (Cary, N.C.), who had their first collegiate starts.
 
The Bulldogs started the game strong with two back-to-back goals from Austin Murphy to take an early 2-0 lead with 10:58 left in the first quarter. Seton Hill then answered quickly with back-to-back goals of their own one minute later.
 
Wingate was up by a score of 9-6 with 1:01 remaining in the second quarter after a goal from junior attack Tanner Kotch (Butler, Pa.). The Griffins responded with six unanswered goals to take a 12-9 lead with 3:17 left in the third quarter. A score by Seton Hill sophomore attack Sean Stanners (Canton, Mich.) score with 26 seconds left in the second quarter to start the run. The Bulldogs led 9-7 at intermission.
 
Seton Hill scored the first five goals of the third stanza with Hayes tallying two scores (5:52, 4:09). Daniel Godwin stopped the bleeding for the Bulldogs, scoring Wingate's only third quarter goal (2:12) to make the score 12-10 Seton Hill entering the fourth frame.
 
The Bulldogs fought back to tie the game 12-12 with a late goal by sophomore attack Jeremy Sullivan (Crofton, Md.). The Griffins ultimately scored the game-winner with 2:59 left in the contest on a score from Zach Hartmann (Coquitlam, B.C.).
 
Tanner Kotch, freshman attack Alex Llerandi (Marietta, Ga.), and senior attack Ryan Vogrig (Vancouver, B.C.) had two goals each for Wingate. For Seton Hill, sophomore midfielder Shane Pettke (Shelby Township, Mich.) and Sean Stanners each earned two goals. Pettke's second goal concluded the Griffins' 6-0 flurry with 3:17 left in the third.
 
The Wingate men's lacrosse team will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 21, facing number 11 Mercyhurst (Pa.) University in a neutral site game in Ashland, Va. The contest starts at 12 noon on Randolph-Macon's Day Field. Wingate opens the 2016 campaign with three of its first four games against nationally-ranked opponents.
 
(Wingate University sports information/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A freshman from Raleigh, Kaplan is a Communication Studies major at Wingate. The former Millbrook High School baseball player is the son of Harrison and Dona Kaplan.)