Women's Lacrosse | 2/20/2017 1:24:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.-----The Wingate University women's lacrosse team begins their fourth season as a program Tuesday afternoon for a 3 p.m. non-conference encounter versus the University of Mount Olive Trojans from the Ray McDonald Sr. Lacrosse Complex on the UMO campus (please note starting time change). The 2017 Bulldogs look to grow from a successful campaign last spring when they finished 12-5 overall and 6-2 in South Atlantic Conference play. The 'Dogs finished third overall in the league standings behind Lenoir-Rhyne and Queens.
 
Wingate was voted by coaches to finish third in the SAC pre-season poll with five Bulldogs earning pre-season All-SAC recognition. WU faces Mount Olive in a rematch from the 2016 season when the Bulldogs fell to the (then) 12th-ranked Trojans in their season/home opener by a narrow margin of 6-5.
 
The 'Dogs sit at the third spot in the pre-season SAC standings behind three-time defending SAC tournament and regular season champion Queens University of Charlotte and the first-place Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears. LRU received eight first-place votes, while Queens received one vote to win the SAC for the fourth consecutive season.
 
"I believe our group has really come together during this pre-season," Wingate head women's lacrosse coach Caline McHenry Olmsted says. "We have been able to accomplish much offensively, defensively and in our transition game as well. I believe everyone is starting to gel."
 
Olmsted believes consistency will be very important for the 2017 Bulldogs. "We must be consistent…no matter our opponent," Olmsted says. "We have the experience and the skill to be successful. We must play every game to the best of our ability…and be ready for each challenge both mentally and physically."
 
Position-by-Position Breakdown
 
Attack
 
The Wingate attack position is led by senior and pre-season All-SAC honoree Brittany Andrews (Bel Air, Md.). Andrews led all WU scorers with a career-best 60 goals on the season, in comparison to her 31 tallies in her sophomore season. She finished second overall in the SAC with her 2016 goal total. Andrews topped the WU charts in shots (108), shots on goal (89) and man-up goals (five). She finished third in total points. Andrews was a first team All-SAC selection in 2016.
 
WU redshirt junior and pre-season second team All-SAC member Shannon O'Neal (Severna Park, Md.) started in 16 games at the attack position in her first season with the Bulldogs. She was awarded All-SAC honorable mention. O'Neal finished third on the WU team list with 42 goals.
 
She also racked up 13 assists, which is good for third on the team. O'Neal finished fourth in points (55), tied for third in man-up goals (two), third in shots (93), third in shots on goal (63) and in a four-person tie for fourth with 10 caused turnovers.
 
Madison LaBarbera (Colchester, Conn.) completes Wingate's junior attack unit. In 2016, Chiesa saw action in 17 total games with eight starts. She posted eleven goals and seven assists in her third-year campaign. LaBarbera contributed two tallies and one assist for the Bulldogs last spring.
 
The sophomore attack duo consists of Anna Harbacevich (Charlotte, N.C.) and Madison Hobson (Dunkirk, Md.). Harbacevich played in nine total contests as a freshman in 2016, tallying 10 goals and one assist. Hobson participated in six games, finding the back of the net three times.
 
The Bulldogs welcome three freshmen to the WU women's lacrosse attack group. Newcomer Kendall Wells (Elkridge, Md.) will fill a needed scoring role for the Bulldogs. Joanna King (Lancaster, Pa.) and Addison Billings (York, Pa.) hope to help contribute to the Wingate offensive plans as well.
 
Midfield
 
Wingate senior Paulena Dempsey (Jarrettsville, Md.) leads the Bulldog charge in the midfield. She started 17 of 17 games for the Bulldogs in 2016. Dempsey scored 56 goals as a junior. She earned pre-season first team All-SAC honors.
 
After scoring 23 goals during her sophomore season in 2015, Dempsey posted 56 tallies in 2016 to finish third overall in the SAC individual standings and second on her team. She earned second team All-SAC honors at the conclusion of her stellar junior campaign.
 
Dempsey topped the Wingate charts in points (73), while finishing second in assists (17), second in shots (103) and second in shots on goal (81). She picked up 25 ground balls and finished in a four-way tie for fourth with 10 caused turnovers.
 
Laura Swanson (Plantation, Fla.) rounds out the 2017 midfield senior class for the 'Dogs. Swanson started in 14 games as a junior in 2016, totaling two goals and four assists on the season. Sophomore Emily Ketron (Mason, Ohio) stands alone at the midfield position in her class. Ketron started in all 17 contests during her first season in the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold and tallied five goals with five assists. Freshman Casey Roux (Rochester, N.Y.) also looks to contribute as a newcomer to the program.
 
Defense
 
The Bulldogs bring a deep, veteran group to the 2017 WU defensive unit with seniors Kendall Sienon (Woodstock, Ga.) and Morgan Insel (Plantation, Fla.) leading the charge. Both started in each of Wingate's contest last season to help anchor the defense.
 
Insel was named All-SAC second team following her junior campaign in 2016. She recorded 30 ground balls, which is good for fifth on the WU team list. She led the Bulldogs in caused turnovers with 12. She was named to the 2017 pre-season All-SAC first team as well. Insel posted her first goal of the season in the non-conference victory over North Greenville, along with recording her first assist in the SAC triumph against Lincoln Memorial.
 
Junior Maria Cepeda (Port Charlotte, Fla.) will serve as a defensive midfielder. She saw action in six games for the Bulldogs in her sophomore campaign in 2016. Sophomores Megan Amrein (Abington, Md.) and Erin Brooks (Raleigh, N.C.) look to add more depth and talent to an already experienced WU defense. Brooks played in three games as a freshman, while Amrein started in all 17 contests last season scoring eight goals and racking up six assists. Redshirt freshman Brooke Banner (Williston, Fla.) sat out her first year and seeks to make significant contributions in 2017.
 
The freshman class of defenders consists of Taylor Barker (Auckland, New Zealand), Sierra Street (Fuquay Varina, N.C.), Peyton McCracken (Middletown, Md.) and Anicia Ocasio (Matthews, N.C.). Barker was named to the New Zealand U23 Academy Lacrosse Team prior to the season and was the first international student-athlete to sign with the Wingate women's lacrosse program.
 
Goalkeeper
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Arion Pierre (Haymarket, Va.) and junior goalie Nicole Hinkle (Fallston, Md.) will both accompany the cage for the Bulldogs in 2017. Pierre earned pre-season All-SAC second team honors. Hinkle appeared in three games for Wingate last season, recording one save and playing for a total of 39:01 in her sophomore campaign.
 
In 2016, Pierre started every game in the cage as a freshman and was second team All-SAC. She recorded 157 saves and posted a 10.34 goals against average. She was also named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week three times in her freshman campaign. Pierre also picked up 52 ground balls, which topped the Wingate charts.
 
Bulldog Notes
 
Wingate finished the 2016 regular season slate on a five-game win streak after falling to (then) 15th-ranked Queens on Mar. 30, 2016 to earn a berth into the SAC tournament and host the first round match-up. The Bulldogs fell to Catawba by a score of 13-12 in the opening round.
 
The 'Dogs enters the new campaign with fairly high expectations after losing only two starters from a year ago. Wingate begins their 2017 home slate Sunday, Feb. 26 when they host the Rollins College Tars in a non-conference encounter from Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex. First draw control is slated for a 12 noon start.
 
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 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University athletic media relations/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A sophomore from Raleigh, Kaplan is a Communication Studies major at Wingate.)