Women's Lacrosse | 2/10/2018 12:17:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's lacrosse team begins its 2018 season Sunday, hosting NAIA power SCAD Savannah on Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex. The contest is slated to begin at 2 p.m. Wingate interim head coach Kirsten Smith welcomes back several key contributors from last year's team. The Bulldogs were 13-5 overall (6-2 SAC) in 2017, advancing to the South Atlantic Conference tournament finals for the first time.
 
Smith and her charges are looking forward to the challenges the new season presents. "This group is very positive and energetic," Smith says. "We are very young. The veterans want to do even better than we did last year…and the young kids want to help make this happen."
 
Only its fifth year of existence, the Wingate women's lacrosse program will play a school-record 11 home games this season on Graham Gill Field (complete 2018 schedule). Three new non-conference opponents will visit Wingate: Concordia-St. Paul (March 3), Findlay (March 7) and Saint Leo (March 25). Bulldog WLAX alum Morgan Insel ('17) is an assistant coach at Findlay.
 
The Bulldogs will visit first-year SAC foe Mars Hill (March 17) and venture to number 13 Limestone for the first time (April 4). Three Wingate opponents are listed in the preseason top 25: Limestone, Rollins (number 11, game at Wingate Feb. 25) and Queens (number seven, game at Wingate April 21).
 
"(Assistant coach) Austin Brown and I are telling the girls…they must show up…no matter what name they see on the other team's jerseys," Smith says. "We must play our game to the best of our abilities…every time."
 
THE BULLDOGS BY POSITION
 
Attack:  "Sophomore Joanna King is taking more chances this year," Smith says. "Sophomore Kendall Wells is becoming more aggressive every day…she is not afraid to go to the goal. Her leadership skills are developing as well. Redshirt senior Shannon O'Neal is one of our team captains…the players look to her for leadership."
 
Midfield: "Bulldog junior and team captain Emily Ketron has really stepped up in the draw control area for us," Smith says. "We will utilize her more in the attack area…she is all over the field for us. Sophomore Casey Roux is a force to be reckoned with on defense. She has really made great strides for us. Also, we have three freshmen (Morgan Akers, Ellie Gottschalk and Nina Cifolilli) who will make contributions for us as true first-year players."
 
Defense: "Senior Nicole Hinkle has made a transition from goalie to defense," Smith says. "She is a great team defender. Junior Megan Amrein has great speed…and can run all day. Sophomore Sierra Street got great experience as a freshman…we look for her to do even bigger and better things this season."
 
Goalie: "Junior goalie Arion Pierre is one of the most energetic student-athletes I have ever coached," Smith says. "She brings her very unique swagger to the field every day."
 
SAC PRESEASON TEAM

The Bulldogs had three women's lacrosse student-athletes who were selected for preseason All-SAC honors. WU redshirt senior attack Shannon O'Neal and junior goalkeeper Arion Pierre were named to the preseason All-SAC first team. Both O'Neal and Pierre made the All-SAC postseason team following the 2017 season. Bulldog junior midfield Emily Ketron was a preseason All-SAC second team pick.
 
The SAC head coaches voted Wingate to finish tied for second (with Lenoir-Rhyne) in their preseason poll. Both the Bulldogs and the Bears had 60 points each. Wingate received one first-place vote. Four-time defending SAC tournament and regular season champion Queens University of Charlotte was picked to win the 2018 league race with 72 points and eight first-place listings.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
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. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 99 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 108 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.