Wingate, N.C.---- Four different Bulldogs scored Wednesday night as Wingate University celebrated nine seniors on Senior Day in style with a 5-0 victory over the Salem University Tigers in NCAA Division II men's soccer action at Pride Park. The Bulldogs moves to 9-2-2 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 6-9-1 overall.
 
INITIAL THOUGHTS FROM COACH GARY HAMILL

"I was very happy with it, I think we struggled a little bit to finish in the first half then settled in during the second half and scored some nice goals. It was a good night for Senior Night for the guys, I'm happy for them. We got most of the guys in before the big game on Saturday so all around it was well-fought win."

HAMILL ON LEADING THE LEAGUE IN GOALS

"I certainly would have not have guessed that if you asked me on August 1st. I would have told you there was something seriously wrong with it. We didn't know what we had coming in and obviously it has been fantastic. 37 goals? it's incredible. I don't think we've scored that many goals in the last couple of years. it's really nice to see different individual and different players score, not just Elliot or Soren, as you see Paul has been a big surprise and a big shock. I'm very happy where we are at, we are 9-2-2. I certainly didn't expect that or a massive recruiting year or really knowing we would be starting four freshmen instead of eight. It's a great place to be and we are really happy going into the last week of the season and still in the running for a championship."
 
THOUGHTS FROM STUART HENDRY

"We weren't really happy with how the first half went. I think we were playing a bit slow and not playing at the rhythm we are used to so Coach was telling us to get in and get stuck in and put it in nice and early. We came out in the second half and then the goals started to open up. We found a lot more spaces. We were able to get behind them and finish, which was good."

KEY STATS

- Wingate outshot Salem 26-11
- The Bulldogs held a 13-5 edge in shots on goal
- WU took six corner kicks, while SU took three
- Paul Ngongo scored two goals for Wingate
- Daniel Kuper notched one goal and two assists
- Elliot Cutts also scored for the Bulldogs
- Stuart Hendry scored a Senior Night goal for the 'Dogs
- Dylan O'Kane and Owen Marshall each had an assist
- Victor Spaggiari collected five saves and earned the shutout

NOTES

- Wingate moves to 2-0 all time against Salem
- The 'Dogs are 2-0 when facing the Tigers at Pride Park
- WU collects their seventh shutout of the season
- Ngongo leads the SAC with 12 goals and 27 points this season
- Ngongo also has a league-best six game-winners
- Kuper is the first Bulldog this season to have multiple assists in one game
- Marshall collects his first assist of the year
 
FIRST HALF

- The lone goal of the first frame came in the fourth minute of play
- O'Kane took the corner and found the head of Ngongo, who put it just out of the reach of the keeper
- Wingate took 18 shots in the first 45 minutes of action, notching seven shots on goal
- Salem took five shots in the first frame, with two shots on goal

SECOND HALF

- Wingate started the scoring early in the second half, getting their first goal in the 49th minute
- Kuper crossed the ball to the left post finding Hendry, who drilled it into the near corner
- Cutts would find the back of the net three minutes later, settling right in front of the goal and drilling the ball into the cage
- The senior is third in the league with nine goals and 21 points
- The 'Dogs would keep the rally going one minute later when Kuper handed out his second assist
- Kuper found Ngongo on the right post, who finished it into the empty net
- Wingate would cap the scoring in the 64th minute of action when Kuper found the back of the net
- Marshall connected from midfield with the sprinting Kuper, who chipped the ball over the charging keeper

Up Next

- The 'Dogs travel to Carson-Newman Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. start
- The Eagles are three points ahead of the second-place Bulldogs in the SAC standings
- Wingate finishes the season at home against Catawba next Wednesday