VIDEO | LIVE STATS | BRACKET

Boca Raton, Fla.----The 15th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are in the semifinals of the NCAA Super Region 2 Tournament, traveling to Boca Raton, Fla. to face the second-seeded and seventh-ranked Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic Thursday at 6 p.m. Lynn University is hosting the Super Regional this weekend, with the Super Regional championship taking place Saturday at 6 p.m.

ABOUT THE GAME

Thursday, Dec. 5 | 6 p.m. | NCAA Super Region 2 Semifinals | NCAA Sweet 16
#3 Wingate (14-2-3; 6-2-2 SAC) vs. #7 Palm Beach Atlantic (15-2-3; 6-2-2 SSC)
Boca Raton, Fla. (Bobby Campbell Stadium) | Watch | Live Stats | Bracket

THOUGHTS FROM GARY HAMILL

"We are excited for the team to be in a great position. The boys are looking forward to the game on Thursday."

SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the first-ever meeting between Wingate and Palm Beach Atlantic

WHAT'S AT STAKE

- The winner will advance to the Super Region Championship match Saturday night
- Only 16 teams remain in the tournament, which will be down to eight after Friday
- The winner faces the winner of the Lynn vs. Florida Tech contest
- The Super Region winner advances to the national semifinals in Pittsburgh, Pa.
- The National semifinals are Dec. 12, championship match is Dec. 14

WINGATE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

- The Bulldogs are making their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time
- This is the fifth appearance in the last six years for the 'Dogs
- 2016 National Champions
- Wingate is 10-7-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- The 'Dogs also won the region championship in 2012
- WU is 6-0-1 its last seven NCAA Tourney matches, outscoring opponents 15-3
- Wingate became the first-ever SAC team to win a national title in 2016
- The 'Dogs did not allow a goal in the five NCAA Tourney games in 2016

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate won the SAC Tournament championship in 2019
- Fifth SAC Tourney title all-time and third in the last five years
- The 'Dogs have won seven total league championships since 2014
- The Bulldogs are the three seed in the Super Regional
- The Bulldogs won the 2016 national championship
- The 'Dogs are the only SAC team to win an NCAA Division II national title
- WU is 8-0-1 over its last nine games, outscoring opponents 31-4

WINGATE OFFENSE

- The Bulldogs rank fifth nationally in scoring offense, total goals and points per game
- WU ranks seventh in total assists and assists per game
- The 'Dogs have piled up 59 goals and 43 assists through 19 contests
- Wingate is outscoring opponents 59-15 on the season
- The 2016 national championship team scored 48 goals in 20 games
- The Bulldogs average 3.11 goals per game, taking 16.1 shots per contest
- Wingate has scored in all but one game this year, scoring multiple goals 14 times
- The 'Dogs have scored five goals or more six times
- That includes the 5-2 win over #9 Young Harris in the NCAA Tourney opener
- WU outscoring opponents 28-5 in the first half; 30-10 in the second half
- Freshman Paul Ngongo has been named the SAC and Region Player of the Year
- He has 19 goals and four assists on the season
- Ngongo leads the nation with eight game-winning goals
- He ranks second nationally in goals per game, points per game and total goals, ranking third in points
- Ngongo has at least a goal in each of his last nine games
- He has 14 goals and two assists during that stretch that has seen Wingate go 8-0-1
- Elliot Cutts is a first team All-SAC and All-Region midfielder
- The senior has 13 goals and four assists, ranking in the top three in the SAC in goals and points
- Daniel Kuper has registered seven goals and four assists, scoring twice in the Young Harris win
- Stuart Hendry has five goals and five assists on the season
- First team All-SAC midfielder Mikkel Fahlen Bruun has registered four goals and four assists
- Soren Nygaard has three goals and a team-best six assists; Game-winning goal in SAC title match

WINGATE DEFENSE

- The Bulldogs lead the SAC and rank 23rd in the nation in goals-against average
- Wingate is allowing 0.767 goals per contest on the year
- The 'Dogs have piled up 11 shutouts, ranking sixth nationally in shutout percentage
- Freshman defender Owen Marshall is an All-SAC and All-Region selection
- Freshman Devin Scully was named the SAC Tournament MVP
- Freshman Jens Bergendorff was named the second team all-conference goalkeeper
- He leads the SAC in goals-against average and shutouts
- Freshmen Joshua Ochsenbein and Nicholas Wittur also earned All-SAC Tourney honors
- The defense did not allow a goal in the SAC Tournament and has seven shutouts the last nine games

ABOUT PALM BEACH ATLANTIC

- Palm Beach Atlantic is ranked seventh nationally and is the number two seed in the region
- The Sailfish played in the Sunshine State Conference title game, falling to #3 Lynn in PKs
- PBA took down Francis Marion 2-1 in its NCAA Tournament opener
- Palm Beach Atlantic is 8-0-1 in its last nine contests, with the lone tie coming in the SSC title game

PALM BEACH ATLANTIC OFFENSE

- The Sailfish rank eighth nationally in total goals, ninth in scoring offense and total points
- PBA is fifth in the nation in shots per game and 16th in assists
- Palm Beach Atlantic has 51 goals in 20 games, averaging 2.55 goals per contest
- The Sailfish have scored multiple goals in each of their last nine games
- SSC Player of the Year Cadu Cusatis leads PBA with 13 goals and 28 points
- Claudio Rivadeneira has eight goals and a team-best eight assists

PALM BEACH ATLANTIC DEFENSE

- PBA ranks 41st in the nation in goals-against average
- The Sailfish allow 1.00 goals per game on the year
- Palm Beach Atlantic has notched six shutouts on the season
- Junior defender Mo Redjeb earned first team All-Region honors
- Patrick Nettekoven has started 10 games as the PBA goalkeeper
- He is 8-1-2 with three shutouts and a 1.12 goals-against average

UP NEXT

- The winner of the WU-PBA match advances to Saturday's Super Region 2 Title match
- That will also be the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinal match
- The WU-PBA winner will face the Lynn-Florida Tech winner Saturday at 6 p.m.
- Every match this weekend will take place at Lynn University
- The winner of Saturday's match advances to the NCAA Division II Final Four in Pittsburgh

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 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 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.