Wingate, N.C.----The four-time defending South Atlantic Conference regular season champion Wingate University Bulldogs open the 2018 season this weekend, traveling to Florida to take on Rollins and Saint Leo. Wingate will face Rollins Thursday at 7 p.m., then take on Saint Leo Saturday at 2 p.m. Wingate went 14-4-2 overall last season, with an 8-1-1 mark in league play, while also taking home the SAC Tournament title for the second time in three years.

"It's been a challenging preseason, but the last couple of weeks we have made great progress," head coach Gary Hamill says. "I'm Happy with how quickly the guys have settled in together. It's such a short preseason. We played two preseason games early on and that gave us a good feel of where we're at. We've got the ability to have a very good team, we'll just see how quickly we can gel together and adapt to the new playing style."

FORWARD

Senior Nate Evans returns for the Bulldogs up front. He had a goal and an assist last year, scoring in the SAC Tournament semifinal win over LMU. "Nate had a good preseason," Hamill says. "He came in very fit and has done well, particularly with the new forwards we've brought in."

After Evans, the Bulldogs will rely on newcomers up front, led by freshman Italian Nico Esposito. "Nico is big, strong and can hopefully adapt to the U.S. style of play," Hamill says. "He will create some problems for people with his size and strength."

Junior transfer Marco Sellen will also play an important role up top for Wingate. "Marco is quite fit and he got some good experience behind him," Hamill says. "He will do very well in his role. We are looking forward to having him play this weekend and see what he has to offer. He definitely has the ability to score some goals." Freshman Daniel Cooper has also had a solid preseason and will see some time in his first year as a Bulldog.

MIDFIELD

Reigning SAC Freshman of the Year Mattia Ditommaso leads the way in the midfield. The preseason All-SAC selection had four goals and three assists during his first season as a Bulldog in 2017. "Mattia had a very good preseason," Hamill says. "He has taken on somewhat of a leadership role, which has been positive. He sets a good example for the new players with his discipline on and off the field."

Junior Elliot Cutts led the Bulldogs with 12 goals last year, adding three assists for a team-best 27 points to earn all-conference honors. "We are expecting a big season from Elliot," Hamill says. "He is fit and strong and worked very hard in the preseason. He seems to be more active than last year and will have more responsibility this year."

A pair of newcomers will also be key in the midfield, starting with Findlay transfer Dylan O'Kane. "Dylan transferred in after two good years of college at Findlay," Hamill says. "He's very good at organizing the midfield and he's very quick and aggressive. He has a good eye for the game, and is strong at linking up the back four and forwards. Dylan is a very vocal, strong leader."

Freshman Harry Taylor will also have an important role in his first year with the Bulldogs. "Harry is a good, hard-working player that reads the game very well," Hamill says. "He plays with good pace and has good mobility around the field. We are hoping to see him adapt quickly."

Returners Oscar Perez and Stuart Hendry are also important players in the midfield. Perez scored a pair of goals last season and assisted on the game-winning goal in the 2016 national championship game. Hendry scored a goal in Wingate's 7-1 victory at Carson-Newman in 2017. "Oscar and Stuart both have had strong preseasons," Hamill says. "They are both knocking on the door for serious playing time. Both could be starting in the season opener."

DEFENSE

The defense will have four new starters this year, compared to the past seasons with a good deal of experience. Freshman Erik Marcussen will be the center back for the Bulldogs. "Erick had a good preseason," Hamill says. "He is a big, strong athlete and is adapting very well to the U.S. game. We are looking forward to him having a very successful freshman year."

Also playing the center back position are returners Pablo Bianchi and Rob Tomlin. Tomlin started 19 games last year, while Bianchi appeared in 11 matches with four starts. "Pablo had a good spring and sealed himself a spot in the back four," Hamill says. "Rob is coming off hip surgery in the spring that caused him to miss the spring season, but he is now almost back to 100 percent. We look forward to having his experience back there, being the only returner from last year's back four."

The right back spot goes to freshman Soren Nygaard. "Soren is very fast, with good strong ability to read the game," Hamill says. He likes to get forward, which suits our style of play. We are excited to see him progress over the course of the season."

Another freshman will handle the left back spot in Jakob Sellhed. "Jakob has very good experience and could also see some time in the midfield," Hamill says. "He gives us another attacking option from the back."

GOALKEEPER

For the fourth consecutive year, Pablo Jara will be the starting goalkeeper at Wingate. The first three-time All-American in Wingate men's soccer history, Jara once again led the league in goals-against average as a junior. "Pablo has absolutely been our leader the last couple of years," Hamill says. "He is the heart and soul of the team. His attitude is contagious on and off the field. He'll have an even bigger role this year, getting all of our new guys adapted to our Wingate family, how we do things on and off the field. It has been a superb pleasure to have him for four years. Looking for him to have another great season."

After the opening weekend in Florida, the Bulldogs come home to take on Chowan Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. on ESPN3. That starts a three-game home stand that ends with the SAC opener Wednesday, Sept. 12 against Mars Hill at 7:30 p.m.

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 12 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 105 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 114 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.