Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior attack Dominic Piazza scored the game-winner with 12 seconds left in overtime to give the number 18 Bulldogs a 13-12 NCAA Division II men's lacrosse victory over Florida Southern College at Graham Gill Field Wednesday night. Piazza scored a career-high six goals as the Bulldogs improve to 4-1 overall. The FSC Moccasins are 2-2 overall.
 
THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH TIM BOYLE
 
"This was a very tough game tonight. Florida Southern is a very strong, fast and well-coached team. We are proud of our guys for battling through and never giving up when they went on a five-goal run (in the third quarter). We took control back and then they tied the game up late…we kept battling. We have a short turn around now and have to get ready for a tough conference opponent in Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday."
 
KEY STATS
 
-Wingate earns its third straight 2019 triumph over a Sunshine State Conference school
-The Bulldogs have OT victories over both Rollins and Florida Southern this year
-Wingate outshot FSC 46-39 with a slight 26-24 edge in shots on goal
-The Bulldogs had 54 ground balls, compared to 46 for the Mocs
-Florida Southern won 18-of-29 face-offs
-The Bulldogs held the Mocs to only one extra-man goal (in four tries)
-Wingate leads the series between the two schools 6-4
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
-Bobby Padden had two goals with a career-best five assists for a team-high seven points
-Goalie Alex Cordero had 12 saves and a team-high eight ground balls
-Cordero had two huge saves in the overtime frame
-Conor Gronbach had two goals and one assist
-Reese Orman had a game-high four caused turnovers
-Orman won three face-offs in the second half as well
 
FIRST PERIOD
 
-Florida Southern led 3-2 after the first 15 minutes
-Gronbach and Piazza scored back-to-back goals to give Wingate a 2-1 lead at the 5:40 mark
-Goals by Sean Nolan (4:03) and Justin Dunleavy (0:32) gave the Mocs the advantage
-Dunleavy's goal was his first of the season
 
SECOND PERIOD
 
-Piazza scored three of Wingate's four goals as Wingate took a 6-5 lead to the halftime break
-Padden assisted on two of the scores
-Gronbach had the other goal for Wingate
 
THIRD PERIOD
 
-Florida Southern scored five unanswered goals to take an 11-8 lead on Nolan's fifth (and final) goal of the contest at the 2:58 mark
-Nolan's five goals Wednesday night give him 16 for the season
-Ryan Ormerod (1:09) and Joe Cooper (0:03) started the WU rally as the quarter ended with the Mocs up 11-10
 
FOURTH PERIOD
 
-Matt Calleri scored his first career goal at 7:48 and Padden added another score eight seconds later to give the 'Dogs the lead
-Dalton Simpson tied the game for FSC with 37 seconds left
-The Mocs win the ensuing face-off but turned the ball over
-The Bulldogs responded with a turnover, giving the visitors another chance
-Florida Southern's Nick Gutmann took a potential game-winning shot with four seconds left
-Cordero saved the missile and picked up the ground ball to send the game to OT
 
OVERTIME
 
-Cordero had two saves in overtime, one at 1:20 and another at 1:03
-After a FSC time-out, the Mocs hit the post on their final shot of overtime
-Padden took a shot, picked up the ground ball and fed Piazza for the game-winner
-Both teams took four shots in OT
-Both teams hit the post once each
 
UP NEXT
 
-Wingate starts South Atlantic Conference play Saturday, visiting Lenoir-Rhyne at 1 p.m.
-Florida Southern visits number 15 Mount Olive Saturday at 12 noon to conclude its N.C. swing