Men's Soccer | 10/30/2017 11:20:00 AM

Championship Central

Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are the number one seed in this week's South Atlantic Conference men's soccer tournament, which begins Tuesday night. The Bulldogs will host eighth-seeded Newberry Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3. The Bulldogs enter the postseason at 11-4-1 overall after going 8-1-1 in league play. Wingate won its fourth consecutive regular season SAC title in 2017.

The 2016 national champions, Wingate overcame a slow start to the 2017 season, winning nine of 10 at one stretch after starting the year 1-2. The Bulldogs won their eighth regular season SAC title, tied for the most all-time. Wingate's last SAC Tournament title came in 2015, marking the first time the Bulldogs won both league titles in the same year since 1994. The 'Dogs are 36-5-2 in league play over the past four years. After going undefeated in SAC play in 2016, the Bulldogs won their first seven conference matches in 2017 for an 18-game league winning streak.

The Bulldogs lead the league with 37 goals scored this year, averaging a league-high 2.31 goals per game while also leading the conference with 101 points. Wingate ranks second in goals-against average, while allowing a league-low six goals in conference contests. The 'Dogs scored the most goals in league play in 2017, while allowing the least amount of goals, outscoring conference opponents 23-6.

Sophomore Elliot Cutts (London, England) leads the Bulldogs and ranks third in the SAC with 11 goals, adding three assists to rank fourth in the conference with 25 points. Senior Filipe Checco (Brotas, Brazil) has five goals and a league-best seven assists, ranking eighth in the SAC in points. Senior Elma N'For (Yaoundé, Cameroon) has six goals and four assists, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in goals and points despite playing only eight matches this year.

2015 SAC Player of the Year Jon Ander (Bilbao, Spain) has four goals and three assists, while freshman Mattia Ditommaso  (Milan, Italy) has collected four goals and an assist on the season. Senior midfielder Christian Szalay (Vienna, Austria) also has four goals this year.

The defense is anchored by 2016 All-American and Academic All-America honoree Damian Gaona (Santiago, Chile), along with All-SAC and All-Region honoree Vicente Munoz (Santiago, Chile). Newcomer Rob Tomlin (Aylesbury, England) has started 15 games at defense for the Bulldogs, while senior Garrett Bridgewater (Cape Carteret, N.C.) has a goal and two assists in addition to his defensive efforts. Senior midfielders David Fairgrieve (Newcastle, England) and Mateo Correa (Medellin, Colombia) have also played a big role in the defensive efforts for the Bulldogs. Two-time All-American goalkeeper Pablo Jara (Santiago, Chile) ranks fifth in the league in goals-against average.

Wingate and Newberry met Sept. 23, with the Bulldogs picking up a 2-0 road victory. Ditommaso and Szalay netted goals for the Bulldogs, while Jara collected six saves. Wingate has won six straight against the Wolves, outscoring Newberry 14-3 during the stretch. The 'Dogs have registered three consecutive shutouts against the Wolves.

The winner of the Wingate-Newberry contest advances to Friday's SAC Tournament semifinals in Rock Hill, S.C. to take on the winner of the Lincoln Memorial vs. Mars Hill contest at 11 a.m. The SAC title match is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5 in Rock Hill.  

2017 SAC Men's Soccer Tournament

Tuesday, Oct. 31 (at Higher Seed)
7:30 p.m. - #8 Newberry at #1 Wingate
2 p.m. - #5 Mars Hill at #4 Lincoln Memorial
7 p.m. - #7 Queens and #2 Carson-Newman
7 p.m. - #6 Anderson at #3 Lenoir-Rhyne

Friday, Nov. 3 (Rock Hill, S.C.)
11 a.m. - NC/WU winner vs. MH/LMU winner
1:30 p.m. - QU/CN winner vs. AU/LR winner

Sunday, Nov. 5 (Rock Hill, S.C.)
1 p.m. - SAC Championship Match
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,600 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 11 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 96 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 96 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 105 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.