Charlotte, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs used a late 4-0 second half run in a thrilling 15-14 comeback triumph over the Coker College Cobras in the semi-final round of the South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse tournament from the Dickson Field and the Queens Sports Complex Friday. Wingate trailed 14-11 at the 11:06 mark of the second half before rallying with four consecutive tallies to take its first and only lead of the second stanza.
 
Wingate improves to 13-4 overall, setting a school-record for victories in the process. The 'Dogs advance to their first SAC Championship game in program history, facing the defending champion Queens University of Charlotte Royals Saturday afternoon. First draw control is slated for a 5 p.m. start from the same site. Coker ends its 2017 season at 14-5 overall.
 
WU senior midfielder Paulena Dempsey (Jarrettsville, Md.) led the Bulldog offensive attack with four goals in the contest, while freshman midfielder Casey Roux (Rochester, N.Y.) netted three tallies. Freshman attack/midfielder Kendall Wells (Elkridge, Md.), freshman attack Joanna King (Lancaster, Pa.) and sophomore attack Madison Hobson (Dunkirk, Md.) contributed two scores each. Three other Bulldogs totaled one goal each.
 
For Coker, junior attack Haley McCusker (Warwick, R.I.) led all scorers with six tallies in the contest. Junior midfielder Claudia Jenkins (Keedysville, Md.) was second on the Cobra scoring charts with four goals, while senior midfielder Mackenzie Baker (Orlando, Fla.) added two scores.
 
The Bulldogs struck first with a goal from Dempsey at the 28:51 mark before the Cobras answered with three unanswered goals to take an early 3-1 lead with 23:25 in the opening half. The 'Dogs trailed for the entire game up until their game-winning goal with 7:41 left in the second half of play.
 
Wingate tied the contest up at 3-3 on back-to-back tallies from Dempsey and senior attack Brittany Andrews (Bel Air, Md.) at the 24:48 plateau. Coker's offense exploded with four straight scores to grab a commanding 7-3 advantage with 7:13 to go. With the Bulldogs trailing 8-4, consecutive goals from King and Dempsey made the score 8-6 Cobras with 2:26 remaining. Coker closed out the first half with back-to-back goals to take a 10-6 advantage at the halftime intermission.
 
Wingate began the second half with consecutive goals from Dempsey and Hobson to trim the margin down to 10-8 six minutes into the half before Coker scored two tallies of its own to extend the lead out to 12-8 at the 21:52 mark.
 
Trailing 13-9 with 14:09 on the second half clock, the Wingate Bulldogs began their comeback by scoring six of the next seven goals. The WU rally began with back-to-back scores from King and Roux to make it a 13-11 game two minutes later. Coker responded with a tally to make it 14-11, but the 'Dogs scored the final four goals of the second half to grab the 15-14 advantage with Roux netting the game-winning goal with 7:41 to go.
 
Wingate sophomore goalkeeper Arion Pierre (Haymarket, Va.) posted 11 saves and got the win, improving to 13-4. She went the distance Friday night. Coker freshman goalie Cassie Williams (Rockledge, Fla.) tallied eight stops and took the loss, playing the full 60 minutes.
 
Wingate outshot Coker 31-30, while holding the 21-18 edge in ground balls. The Bulldogs won 16-15 in total draw controls. The 'Dogs converted five goals on nine free-position shots, while the Cobras tallied one score on three free-position opportunities.
 
(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.)