Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs saw 10 different players score Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 17-6 victory over the visiting Lee University Flames in NCAA Division II women's lacrosse action. Wingate starts the season 1-0, while the Flames fall to 0-1 overall.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Lee 30-18, with an 18-8 edge in the second half
- The Bulldogs held a 25-15 advantage in shots on goal
- The Flames turned it over 28 times; the 'Dogs had 19 turnovers
- Each team picked up 21 ground balls
- Lee won 16 of the 24 draw controls
- The Bulldogs were successful on 16 of 19 clear attempts; Lee was 10 for 18

KEY BULLDOGS

- Nina Cifolilli and Kendall Wells scored three goals each for the Bulldogs
- Abby Burke had two goals and two assists; Annie Plotts added two goals and one assist
- Kayleigh Hiles had a goal and four assists, with Mia Kwiatkoski had two goals and an assist
- Leah Knowles had a goal, two assists, three draw controls and three ground balls
- Paige Kamer, Becca Ruiz and Emily Blakely contributed a goal apiece
- Caroline Heffner had three caused turnovers and two ground balls
- Megan Biase piled up nine saves and six ground balls, adding a caused turnover

NOTES

- First ever meeting between Wingate and Lee
- First game for the Bulldogs since March 10, 2020
- The 'Dogs have now scored 52 goals in their last three games (all wins)
- Second straight season-opening victory for the Bulldogs
- Fewest goals allowed by WU since the Coker game April 10, 2019
- Last time Wingate allowed less than six goals was April 6, 2019 when holding Newberry to four
- First career goals for Kwiatkoski and Blakeley
- The SAC's all-time leader in goals scored, Wells now has 177 career goals
- Sixth time since the start of last season Wells has had at least three goals in a game
- 33rd career game with at least three goals for Wells
- Fourth career game with at least three goals for Cifolilli, who missed the 2020 season due to injury
- Career-high four assists for Hiles
- Two-time first team All-SAC defender Sierra Street has started all 64 games of her WU career
- Biase has had at least nine saves in seven of her nine career games as a Bulldog
- Career-high tying three caused turnovers for Heffner

FIRST HALF

- Wingate scored the first four, with goals from Hiles, Kwaitkoski, Plotts and Kamer coming in the first 10 minutes
- Wells netted her first goal with 11 minutes left to make it 5-1
- Burke and Plotts scored in a 30-second span to put the 'Dogs on top 8-2
- Ruiz's goal with 1:27 remaining put Wingate on top 9-3 at halftime

SECOND HALF

- Goals from Knowles and Wells made it 11-3 less than five minute into the second half
- Cifolilli struck with 24 minutes left to put the Bulldogs on top 12-4
- Cifolilli, Plotts and Blakely each found the back of the net to put Wingate on top by 10
- Lee cut the lead to nine with 12:40 left, but Burke's goal with 5:05 left made it 16-6
- Cifolilli scored in the final second of the game off a Knowles assist to make the final margin 17-6

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back home next Saturday, hosting Belmont Abbey at 12 p.m.
- The 'Dogs open SAC play at Limestone Saturday, Feb. 27 at noon