Wingate, N.C.----The third-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs scored three goals in the opening minute Tuesday afternoon and never looked back, netting the first 12 goals of the contest en route to a 21-3 victory over Mars Hill University in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse tournament at Graham Gill Field. Wingate wins its eighth straight, improving to 11-2 overall and advancing to the SAC Tournament semifinals Friday. Mars Hill falls to 3-8 on the season.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Mars Hill 35-12
- The 'Dogs held a 30-5 advantage in shots on goal
- The Bulldogs had 17 of 18 success clears
- MHU had 18 of the 30 turnovers on the day
- WU won 17 of the 25 draw controls
- 12 different Bulldogs scored
- Wingate had 11 caused turnovers on the afternoon

KEY BULLDOGS

- Annie Plotts led the Bulldogs with four goals and two assists, adding three draw controls
- Nina Cifolilli had four goals on six shots
- Madi Caldwell added three goals and three assists
- Bella Pellet contributed two goals and an assist
- Paige Kamer handed out four assists
- Kayleigh Hiles registered a goal, two assists and five draw controls
- Kendall Wells had a goal and two assists 
- Abby Burke added a goal, two draw controls, two caused turnovers and two ground balls
- Leah Knowles had one goal, six draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball
- Mia Kwiatkoski and Morgan Akers each added a goal and an assist
- Gianna Schweizer and Emily Blakely had a goal apiece
- Megan Biase had two saves while allowing just three goals
- Julia Piazza and Kirsten Chalmers contributed two caused turnovers each for the 'Dogs

FIRST HALF

- Wingate struck three times in the first 50 seconds, with Plotts netting the first two and Burke scoring the third
- Plotts scored here third goal of the day five minutes in off Caldwell's second assist of the day to make it 4-0
- Blakely, Caldwell and Pellet scored in a 30-second span to put the 'Dogs on top by seven
- Plotts struck again at the 22:37 mark to make it 8-0, scoring off a Kamer assist
- Goals from Hiles and Pellet made it 10-0 with 16 minutes remaining
- Schweizer netted her first career goal to make it 11-0
- A Knowles goal off a Plotts assist at the 6:22 mark made it 12-0
- Kwiatkoski scored with 16 seconds left to put Wingate on top 13-1 at halftime

SECOND HALF

- Caldwell scored off a Plotts assist two minutes into the second half to start the scoring
- Goals from Akers and Cifolilli pushed the lead to 15 with 19 minutes left
- A Wells goal, followed by back-to-back Cifolilli goals made it 19-2 with 10 minutes remaining
- Caldwell's third goal of the game came with 8:22 to go, making it 20-2
- Cifolilli capped the scoring on the day with 57 seconds left, scoring off a Wells assist to make it 21-3

UP NEXT

- Wingate is onto the SAC Tournament semifinals Friday in Hickory
- The 'Dogs take on the second-seeded and 13th-ranked Limestone Saints on Friday
- The semifinal contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne
- The winner advances to the SAC title game Sunday at 4 p.m. in Hickory