Hickory, N.C.----The 25th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs knocked off their second top-15 opponent in four days Sunday afternoon, prevailing 1-0 at #7 Lenoir-Rhyne University to claim the 2021 South Atlantic Conference men's soccer tournament championship. Wingate improves to 6-1-1 overall, while the Bears fall to 6-1-6 on the season.

KEY STATS

- Lenoir-Rhyne out-shot Wingate 13-5
- The Bears held a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal
- LR took the only five corner kicks of the day
- Wingate was called for 20 of the 35 fouls
- The Bears had three of the four yellow cards on the day
- The 'Dogs have won two straight SAC Tourney titles and four of the last six
- Wingate has six SAC Tournament championship all-time
- The Bulldogs also have eight regular season SAC titles, including four since 2014

KEY BULLDOGS

- Nick Bennett scored the Wingate goal
- The freshman scored four goals in the SAC Tournament
- He had the game-winners in the semifinals and championship match
- Daniel Kuper had the assist
- Kuper also had a goal in the semifinal victory at Carson-Newman
- Jens Bergendorff registered three saves to preserve the shutout
- He has notched shutouts in five of his six SAC Tournament contests
- Bennett was named the SAC Tournament MVP
- Bergendorff, Devin Scully and Owen Marshall also earned All-Tournament honors

FIRST HALF

- LR took six of the seven shots in the opening half
- Bergendorff notched saves in the ninth and 35th minute to keep it scoreless

SECOND HALF

- Mikkel Fahlen Bruun put a shot on frame in the 51st minute for the Bulldogs
- Wingate got on the board in the 77th minute
- Bennett headed home a cross from Kuper to make it 1-0
- Bergendorff notched one more save in the 82nd minute to keep LR off the board