Wingate, N.C.----Saint Leo University junior attack Leslie Ferguson (Marietta, Ga.) posted five goals and one assist, leading the Lions to an 18-6 NCAA Division II women's lacrosse triumph over Wingate University Sunday afternoon at Graham Gill Field. Five student-athletes scored multiple goals for the Sunshine State Conference members.
 
For Wingate, sophomore attack Kendall Wells (Elkridge, Md.) scored twice, giving her a team and South Atlantic Conference-best 38 goals. Bulldog sophomore defender Sierra Street (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.) and freshman attack Katie Bryson (Kernersville, N.C.) both scored the first goals of their respective WU careers Sunday.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: Saint Leo 18, Wingate 6
Records: Saint Leo 9-2 overall, Wingate 2-9 overall
Location: Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex, Wingate, N.C.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-Saint Leo outshot Wingate 43-20, including 29-9 in the first half.
-The Lions had five free-position goals in nine attempts, while Wingate converted one free-position goal in eight tries.
-Both the Bulldogs and the Lions won 13 draw controls each.
-Wingate junior goalie Arion Pierre (Haymarket, Va.) had 19 saves and a team-best six ground balls in 60 minutes.
-Three Saint Leo goalies combined for 12 saves and five ground balls.
-The Lions had 20 ground balls, compared to 16 for the Bulldogs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Half
 
Wingate freshman midfielder Nina Cifolilli (Kent Island, Md.) opened the scoring at the 26:32 mark, thanks to an assist from sophomore midfielder Casey Roux (Rochester, N.Y.). Ferguson tied the score 30 seconds later. SLU freshman midfielder Sarah Pierson (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Wells traded goals to tie the score 2-2 at the 22:32 plateau.
 
Ten seconds later, Street converted a draw control win into her first career goal and a 3-2 Wingate lead. Saint Leo responded with 11 consecutive goals to take a 13-3 lead at intermission. Six players contributed scores to the flurry with Ferguson and senior midfielder Abbie Ross (Orlando, Fla.) posting two goals each.
 
Second Half

Wells opened the scoring with an unassisted goal 36 seconds into the second half. Cifolilli added her 15th goal of the season at the 17:05 mark on an assist from sophomore attack Joanna King (Lancaster, Pa.). King leads the Bulldogs with 16 helpers. Bryson scored the first goal of her Wingate career with 1:10 remaining to close out the day's scoring.

NOTABLES
 
-Wingate and Saint Leo dedicated Sunday's game to the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. More than 400,000 Americans and 2.5 million people worldwide battle MS, a disease of the central nervous system which disrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body. The Bulldogs and the Lions fight for those who fight MS every day. On this day, the two teams dedicated their fight in memory of Brian O'Neal, the late father of Wingate redshirt senior attack Shannon O'Neal (Severna Park, Md.).
                                    
NEXT ON THE AGENDA

Wingate hosts South Atlantic Conference foe Lincoln Memorial Saturday, March 31 at 1 p.m. Saint Leo returns to Sunshine State Conference play Thursday, visiting Embry-Riddle for a 7 p.m. contest.